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Cruel Game

Shaking things up with this brain fart because too much lovey-dovey can get on your nerves. Well, sometimes. Or is it just me? 

Anyway, I just want to share that I love any Jaehyun and Mark interactions. I like how chill both are, and let’s be honest – they give off frat boy vibes. 

I love this GIF of them – I feel the love, man! GIF is from this link.

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: Sharing that I love Jaehyun and Mark’s friendship is a clue to what you’ll be reading today, as the guys are fueled by their jealousy to get Essie’s heart. Say what?! Yes, I wrote this with the tensest timeline in mind, meaning it’s before Johnny and Essie got together and are getting real touchy with each other. 

POV: 3rd person 

Word count: 1,200 + words 

Warning: Italics are for thoughts and foreign terms. 

–––

Jaehyun knew he lost when he saw the look Essie and Johnny shared during one of their hangouts.

The grey-haired heartthrob, along with Taeyong and Ten, decided to visit their friends Mark, Johnny, and Essie (who also happen to be housemates). It has been a while since Mark and Taeyong were in their respective apartments due to their hectic schedules, and it has been ages since all of them hung out with Ten.

He, Taeyong, and Johnny cooked while Ten, Mark, and Essie provided entertainment through singing with their respective instruments or dancing. The three men prepared a mix of both Korean and Japanese food, which delighted the only girl in the house. “It’s as if you know what I’m craving for!” She gushed, clapping her hands together in glee.

“Of course, I know what you like,” Jaehyun commented confidently with a wink, making her blush. His action was not lost on Johnny, who looked as if he could burn a hole on the back of his friend’s head. “Thank you, Jay!” Essie chirped before she nudged Ten to help her in setting the table.

Once that was set, everyone sat down and enjoyed their dinner. It was during this part of the evening that Jaehyun knew that Essie has made up her mind on whom she likes the most. It was not lost on him that he was one of the people who first knew of her crush on Johnny and other guys in their huge social circle. If he remembered correctly, the only ones from the group she told of were him and Ten.

He caught Johnny tapping her shoulder lightly to whisper something in her ear. He noticed the way she leaned immediately to his touch and giggled at the few words he said. They shared a look before they went back to eating.

If he was asked to describe the look they gave each other, it was one of sweet longing and understanding. In short, he was jealous that he wasn’t the one who received it.

Jaehyun tightened the grip on his utensils as he continued eating dinner, feeling his face heat up in anger. “Hey, hyung. You okay?” Mark asked, who was seated to his left. He nodded in response and gave a goofy smile to reassure him.

“But your ear is, like, all red,” Ten commented before eating a whole sushi. He touched his ear and felt that he was going to get burned with how hot it was. “Oh, maybe it must be the weather? Or the room’s a bit too warm,” he mumbled before focusing on his plate again.

“Did you say it’s too hot, Jay? I can adjust the temperature of the AC,” Essie offered, now standing up to go to where she placed the remote of the air conditioner. “Yeah, thanks dear,” he said softly, looking at her figure disappear into the living room.

“Hey, that’s not where the remote for the AC is, you dummy! It’s over here,” Johnny said, following the girl into the room she went to. The sight of his friend going to where his crush was made him massage his temples in silence, which then led him to lose his appetite.

“I don’t think you’re okay, hyung,” Mark whispered, moving his chair closer to the table. The sound it made turned heads, and all of them looked at the two guys. “What?” Jaehyun was irritated at the looks he got from Taeyong and Ten.

“Yeah, you don’t seem well, Yoon Oh. Do you need a break?” Taeyong said carefully since he didn’t want to irk his housemate. After all, they were going home the same way in the same car.

“I think so. I’ll just be outside,” Jaehyun muttered before going outside to the porch. Mark excused himself shortly afterward and went to where he was as well.

The two men observed the night scenery in silence – well, they could still hear the sound of cicadas chirping and clicking and their heavy breathing.

“What brings you here, Mark?” He started, folding his arms over his chest.

“I think I know what set you off,” the younger guy replied, moving closer to him.

“Oh, you think? Then humor me. Tell me what that is,” his tone was sarcastic, which Mark picked up and returned in his response.

“Don’t think you’re the only one who’s annoyed with Johnny and Essie making goo-goo eyes at each other.”

They looked at each other for a moment and burst into laughter afterward. “Hey, why are you annoyed with them? What did they do to you? Sucks that you have to endure that, eh?” Jaehyun took a seat on the bench, and Mark followed suit. “It’s not that they did anything to me, but I think…I like Essie noona more than, you know, as a sister figure.” The way his voice softened at the end made the older guy’s heart ache.

“Damn, Mark. I didn’t know you felt that way. I guess…you can say the same thing about me too,” he brushed his hair away from his face and looked out into the dark horizon again. “It’s not usual for me to be jealous, especially towards one of my best friends. But I can’t help it. I like Essie too, but I think she has made her decision on who she likes the most.”

“Huh? What does that mean?” Mark moved closer to his hyung, his eyes shining in anticipation with his next words.

Oh crap, this is bad. I shouldn’t have phrased it that way…he thought, running another hand through his hair.

“Let’s just say that Essie likes a lot of guys, and among them all, Johnny is the one she likes the best. And unfortunately, none of us made that list. Isn’t that sad?”

It took a moment for Mark to reply. “Maybe she wouldn’t tell us that if she liked us that way, you know? But maybe she likes one of us too, or heck, even just one of us aside from Johnny hyung. But who are we to compete with him?” He peeked inside and saw that he and Essie were arguing on the dinner table.

“Hey, be confident with yourself, Mark Lee. Suh Youngho isn’t the only handsome and talented guy in the room,” Jaehyun patted his friend’s back before sneaking a look on the commotion inside. He saw that Essie looked pissed, and Johnny was rolling his eyes at her.

“But they look like a fucking married couple already,” Mark mumbled, his eyes also focused on the two. “I think they’re meant for each other.”

“Don’t lose hope. Why don’t you try?” Both men returned to looking at the night sky. “You know, talking with you made me not give up on pursuing Essie. I felt that I have already lost. That sickeningly sweet look she and Youngho had earlier broke me, man. I swear to you,” the older guy admitted, his eyes now focused on his shoes.

“But that means we’ll be competing for her then,” the black-haired guy glanced at Jaehyun, who was now looking at him. “I still want to try, you know. Even if I know deep inside she might not accept my love.”

“That’s the spirit, I guess?” Jaehyun chuckled, slinging an arm around Mark’s shoulder. “May the best man win then.”

“Good luck to us, hyung. I mean it.”

–––

FIN

P.S. The title came from ‘Sit Down’ as it suddenly played in my head the moment I saved the initial draft. Of course, how can I forget Jaehyun’s lines and his competitive spirit? 

JN (Part IV)

We’re back with yet another installment of this series, and I believe it will be the last one for our One and Only. 

To unofficially wrap this up, here’s a GIF of him looking all cute and cuddly in this cozy hoodie! Yes, I’m a sucker for alliterations. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: As always, that GIF is a clue! Read on more random scenarios based on the prompt list of @neoculturedrabbles​, and please take note that these were written with the tensest timeline in mind still. I’m going to call the pre-Johnny and Essie as a couple timeline as that from now. 

POV: 2nd for the first, 3rd for the second. 

Word count: 1,700+ words

Warning: Italics are for foreign terms this time. 

–––

Prompt #3: “Is that my hoodie?”

Living with Johnny and Mark means you get to swipe items from each other. If not that, either one of you uses the item of the other.

For example, every time you bring out your sandalwood soap, Johnny and Mark use it. You noticed that it was used when there were remaining bubbles on the soap when it was your turn to take a bath. You wrinkled your nose in annoyance, remembering that Johnny criticized your soap preference.

“Baby, this smells like a man’s soap. Unless you like that, of course,” he told you one time you stepped out of the shower after using a newly-opened bar of sandalwood soap.

“The hell you care, dude. I’ve become used to it, and it helps with my skin conditions,” you grumbled in response before storming back to your room.

To get back for his bashing and using your soap with no permission, you decided to get one of his million hoodies inside his closet. You were lucky that he didn’t lock his room at all – it was easy to get one of them whenever he was out. Mark was abroad again, and that means you have the apartment all to yourself lately.

You got a light brown hoodie from his closet, which was one of your favorites on him. You tried it on, and you wiggled in delight at how soft and comfortable it was. “This is mine for now, Johnny Suh,” you whispered to no one in particular before leaving his room.

\\\

When he arrived at home late that night, you were lounging in your room in his hoodie and your jogging pants. You were working on your novel again, writing about the back story on one of your characters. As you typed furiously in front of your laptop while listening to a curated playlist to get into the mood, you didn’t notice him enter your room.

As you were about to finish writing one sentence, you heard someone clear their throat. You looked up and saw the towering form of your housemate, who raised his eyebrow at you.

“Hey,” you greeted briefly before going back to your manuscript.

“Hey yourself,” you heard him through your headphones, “and is that my hoodie?”

You didn’t respond, intent on finishing the sentence you were working on.

“Is that my hoodie you’re wearing?” He asked again, his voice louder (and a bit annoyed) this time.

You took off your headphones and looked at up him again with a smile on your face. “Yeah, it is. It’s mine now,” you said confidently, flashing him your pearly whites.

“Hey, is this your payback for using your soap? Come on! I like that hoodie!” He whined, now sitting beside you and tugging the sleeve of the hoodie you were wearing.

“You have a lot of hoodies, Youngho. You bought what, like 4 or 5 of them in one go? It wouldn’t hurt for you to let go of one,” you muttered, prying his fingers off your arm.

“But that’s one of my favorites! It’s part of my Top 5!”

“Nope, it’s mine now.”

“Essieeeeee!” Johnny tackled you on the bed, and you thwacked him on the head. “Duuuude!” You grumbled, sitting up to put away your laptop on your vanity. “Don’t do that when my laptop is here.”

“And you’re more concerned about your laptop than me?” He fake-sobbed first before tackling you again back to the bed.

What ensued was a hilarious (and a bit awkward) bed wrestling fight – you two were a tangle of limbs on your messy bed.

“Ow!” He cried when he got poked by your plastic hand bookmark that has now escaped the book you were hiding under your bed. “Serves you right for messing with me!” You stuck your tongue out and pushed him off you.

He didn’t let you do that easily – he pinned both your arms and was now on top of you.

“Give back my jacket please, baby,” he purred, giving you his best aegyo even if his face was as flushed as a tomato.

“No, it’s mine. For now, that is. Can’t I borrow it for a week?”

Johnny let go of his hold on you and laid beside you on the bed. “Fine, just for a week. After that, it goes back into my closet.”

“Then I’ll pilfer another one next time,” you snickered, which earned you a pinch on your sides. You glared at him, which he ignored as he continued to pinch you more.

“No, I get to choose which one you’ll get next time,” he said, now tilting his body to face you. “There’s nothing wrong with you wearing my stuff, but you’ve got to ask permission first, okay?”

“But you didn’t ask for my permission when you used my soap!” It was your turn to whine, and he just laughed at your statement.

“Essie, it’s just soap. And I bet you have a truckload of that since you always ask your sister to get you that every time she goes to the States. So please, don’t mind us when you use your soap.”

His words took a moment for you to absorb. “Mark uses it too?!” You were close to hysterics already, making the tall guy laugh harder. “Yeah. As you said, it smells good, and it helps with skin conditions.”

You looked at him for a hot minute and focused your attention on his neck. “I doubt it’s helping you,” you said, pointing at the red mark on his neck. “Your insect bite is still there.”

“Heeeeey!” He swatted your finger away from his neck and held it. “That doesn’t count. But maybe if I use it more…”

“Fine. Let’s call it quits. You can use my soap, and I get to keep this hoodie.”

“No way, Jose! It’s still mine. You can use it for a week, that’s it.”

“But Johnnyyyyy!”

\\\

Prompt #9: “What are you doing?”

“…nothing.”

When Essie and Johnny weren’t still roommates, he often texted her or left her a voicemail to hang out with him.

“What are you doing?” Ninety-nine percent of the time, this was the first message that Essie would always playback.

“…nothing,” was her usual reply. Later on, he would text her about some activities he wanted to do with her. There were some that she agreed to, and there were some that she declined out of tiredness or she wasn’t up for it.

Since Johnny vlogged during his free time, he would always tag along with Essie and Kibum in his adventures. They did challenges together, and the three became known as the Le Fabuleux Escouade, thanks to Kibum and Essie’s French vocabulary and the netizens agreeing that it was a nice nickname for the trio.

There was a time that the two had their usual exchange that ended up with them having a mukbang at his apartment. Kibum was out of the country, so it was just the two best friends who filmed while eating Essie’s favorite Filipino dishes – Bicol Express, afritadang manok, ensaladang pako, palabok, and pichi-pichi. There was a newly-opened Filipino restaurant downtown and the girl was too eager to order almost everything from the menu.

“Since I asked you guys on my social media what you would like to know about me and Essie, we’re going to read some of them right now as we eat all this glorious food,” Johnny said to the camera, pointing at the pichi-pichi and palabok near him. Essie gave a small wave and pointed to the Bicol Express and afritadang manok beside her.

As Johnny scrolled through his phone for the questions he received, the girl started eating. She put some rice on her plate first before getting a portion of the Bicol Express. “I’m so hungry right now, guys,” Essie whispered loudly enough to be considered ASMR.

When he looked at her, his eyes widened. “Hey, don’t start without me! Wait!” He was quick to whip out his plate and put some rice and Bicol Express on it as well.

They ate a bit before Johnny went back to his phone to answer questions. He almost choked when he read the most asked question.

“Are you and Essie dating?” He read aloud before showing off the proof that almost everyone wanted to know the real deal between him and his best friend.

The girl looked at him incredulously before staring into the camera with the same expression. “Seriously, guys?” She asked before eating a spoonful of rice and meat.

“Well, Essie and I are best friends. I mean, I have a lot of people I consider that, and she’s one of them. We have been friends for over a year now,” he looked at her briefly before turning his attention back to the camera, “and I’m glad that we still are. What can you say, baby?”

She slapped his shoulder playfully before sharing her answer. “That’s true. He’s one of my best friends as well. Even if our friendship isn’t as long as my other besties, I still feel that we are. Sometimes, it isn’t about the labels that define things. It just happens, you know?”

The two gave each other a high-five before they went into their friendship clap.

“We’re just best friends, guys!” Johnny started, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “But who knows?” He glanced at her, hoping that his look of longing wasn’t that visible on camera.

To be honest, he was starting to fall for her. The more time that he spent with her, the more he wanted to be with her. He tried not hanging out with her for a week, and he felt empty. It wasn’t the same anymore.

“Hey!” Essie shouted, pushing him away from her. “Don’t lead them on like that!” If Johnny was paying close attention to what her words meant, then he would’ve realized that her statement reflected what she was feeling and not the viewers.

Essie shared the same feelings too, and their life would be even more complicated if they do get together.

Who would like their relationship to be projected onto screens, right? Not Essie, but she’s not sure if Johnny feels the same.

–––

FIN

P.S. All those Filipino dishes made me hungry! I hope you get to eat your favorites today!

Sugar and Fluff (Volume 4)

Sit right up on your chairs, for this is a special one. Since I mentioned last week that we’re going back to the start of the timeline, here’s one for y’all. 

Finally, I get to use one of my favorite Johnny GIFs of all time since it’s related to the story. 

I mean, I literally gasped when I watched this for the first time. How dare he do this to us! My poor heart was about to pass out then. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: This installment is a follow-up to How They Met, and how Johnny was to Essie before they became friends. I wrote these stories based on the teaser videos the group had for ‘Elevator (127F)’ and ‘Pandora’s Box’ hence using that dreamy GIF. 

POV: 3rd person 

Word count: 1,700 + words 

Warning: Italics are for thoughts.  

–––

Essie will never forget the time that Johnny pretended to be the pizza delivery boy so he could flirt with her.

It was weeks after they first met when they talked outside her apartment. She was carrying Chinese food takeout as they conversed, delaying her lunch with her best friend Nini.

For this instance, he did the same but in a way that she expected from him. She heard that he was quite a player, and she should try not to fall in love with him. But unfortunately, she did.

It was a cold day – as always in Korea – and despite Nini’s craving for noodles, Essie didn’t cave in to her request. She wanted a giant pizza that had warm and gooey cheese, pepperoni, and bell peppers, so she called Pizza Express to have her custom order.

“I have no complaints with what we’re having for lunch since you’re paying for it, right?” Nini said, flashing a Cheshire cat grin to her best friend.

“Ugh, isn’t that obvious?” Essie rolled her eyes, “I know I’ll be paying for it. So please, be a patient old lady and wait for our food, okay?”

The other girl gave her a thumbs-up before she resumed the video she was watching on YouTube.

///

A few minutes later, their doorbell rang. Essie rushed to the door and checked the peephole if it was indeed the delivery guy. She gulped when she saw someone she didn’t expect to appear at her front door again.

It’s Johnny motherclucking Suh. What the crap is he doing here?

She saw him dancing while holding the Pizza Express box with one hand. He wore a checkered shirt with a funky-patterned cardigan on top and a pair of khaki chinos. The booger also wore eyeglasses and had his light-colored hair curly! He emulated nerd chic, which he is a far cry from in real life.

“Essie, is that the pizza? Why aren’t you opening the door?” Nini asked, who looked at her friend curiously.

The curly-haired girl peered into the peephole again and saw that Johnny was still dancing with the pizza box on one hand. He was doing robotic moves with his other hand and made silly faces as well.

“Yeah, it is the pizza guy…” Essie started, tempted to look into the peephole for the third time, “but at the same time, it isn’t.”

“Huh, what do you mean by that?”

“It looks like Johnny Suh has our pizza, and he’s dancing like an idiot outside our apartment.”

Nini burst into laughter with her statement. “Wow, he must be so into you then. He had to sabotage the real pizza delivery guy so he could flirt his way into your heart,” she said.

“Niniiiii!” her best friend whined, who also stomped the floor at how flustered she was. “Just open the freaking door, and I’m hungry,” the older girl grumbled before going back to her phone.

After three deep breaths, Essie finally opened the door to let Johnny Suh deliver their order. “One custom giant pizza with three different cheese, pepperoni, and bell peppers,” he said in his best professional voice before handing the box to her.

“Yeah, that is correct,” she mumbled, absentmindedly grabbing the pizza with one hand while the other searched into her pockets. “How much was it again?”

“Oh, no need to pay for that, princess, I already took care of it.” Johnny winked at her and gave her a thumbs-up.

“Oh God, Johnny…” Essie wasn’t able to contain her annoyance with his antics and rolled her eyes. “What brings you here then, aside from sabotaging the real pizza delivery guy?”

“I want to see how you’re doing,” he replied suavely, running a hand through his curly mane. “I was just in the area, wanting to hang out with my hyungs, but it turns out they weren’t in their apartment. Then I saw the pizza guy and knew that he was coming here, so I wanted to surprise you.”

“Okay then, thank you,” she said monotonously before heading inside again. “You may leave now if you want.”

“I’ll take no for an answer there, ma’am,” he said, now catching up with her in the apartment. “We might as well hang out.”

“Then I return the same answer to you, sir. No, I don’t want to hang out with you. Today’s my day off, and I want to catch up on sleep,” Essie placed the pizza on the kitchen counter then went to the fridge to retrieve some hot sauce.

“Then I’ll watch you sleep,” Johnny was persistent to make the girl hang out with him. “Or yet, sleep beside you.”

“Johnnyyyyy!” She couldn’t take it anymore and threw a glare at him. “Why are you so stubborn?”

“Because I want what I want to have right now, and that is to hang out with you!”

“Don’t you have any other friends than our neighbors? You can bother them instead!”

“But I don’t want to! I’m already here too, and I know you, so why the heck not?”

“Hold up, hold up! What is happening here?” Nini asked as she entered the kitchen. “It’s past noon, and your voices are too loud! What are you two arguing about?”

Essie rolled her eyes (for the nth time that day) and folded her arms over her chest. “He’s a stubborn piece of ass,” she grumbled. “And she’s an annoying baby princess,” he rebutted.

The older girl looked at them silently before bursting into laughter again. “Oh, you amuse me, Essie. Just give in to his request for now. He made the effort to deliver our pizza. And I bet you didn’t have to pay for it because he already did.”

“Fine, you all win!” The curly-haired girl glared at her best friend and the flirty guy. “But you better behave yourself, mister, because I am not having it.” She took out all the packets of hot sauce from the fridge and grabbed the pizza box again so she could take it to the living room.

“I promise I’ll be a good boy,” he purred in her ear when she has settled the food on the coffee table.

“Ugh, John! Please, stop doing this to me,” Essie groaned, gently pushing him away from her. “I’m thankful for treating us to pizza, but you don’t have to be so damn freaking flirty! We can be friends but not if you’re acting this way.”

Her words hit something in Johnny, who now flashed her a genuine smile. “You do? We can be friends?”

The girl nodded. “Yeah, sure. But just don’t do this again. I feel uncomfortable when someone’s too flirty.”

“But that’s part of my personality, babe. You’ll get used to it. But I’m glad we can be friends,” he said as he sat down beside her on the couch, opening the pizza box he held for approximately five minutes outside.

As the two started eating, Nini was watching them from the kitchen doorway. She never saw someone who acted like Johnny toward her best friend. He was quite direct with his actions, which most guys she saw Essie interact with don’t have the guts to do.

She smiled as Johnny dabbed the sides of Essie’s lips with a napkin. She saw how her best friend was embarrassed at the situation – her ears were glowing red. Nini held back her laughter this time and returned to the living room to get her share of pizza.

\\\

“I remember you were such a flirt when we first met, John,” Essie said one time when they were having breakfast.

Her boyfriend, who was in a white shirt that clung to his body nicely, almost spit out his food from the memory.

“Why do you have to remind me that, baby? I know we didn’t start on a good footing,” he said before eating a spoonful of rice and omelet.

“I know, but that was funny,” she giggled, gently pushing aside her utensils to grab the cup of coffee to her left. “Who knew I’d end up with you?”

He shrugged at her question and continued eating in silence. Essie observed him with a smile on her face as he ate. His hair, which was now light brown with some highlights, was tousled, and some strands almost covered his beautiful honey eyes. He had a ketchup stain near the collar of his shirt. The veins on his arms were more protruding.

“What are you looking at, babe?” He asked, slowly looking up at her.

“You,” she said softly before bringing the cup of coffee to her lips. “I am so lucky to have you, and sometimes I can’t still believe that we’re together, you know?”

“I could say the same too,” he responded with a grin on his face. “You know how the song goes: Everything I do, I do it for you,” he sang aloud the lyrics to the famous Bryan Adams song, making his girlfriend put down her cup of coffee and laugh.

“Damn, you’re cheesy!” She guffawed, slapping the table for effect. She thought of the moments that happened earlier – he was the one who woke her up by opening their sky blue curtains to let some sunlight shine through. “Good morning, baby, wake up,” he whispered before drawing them close when he saw her sit up from the bed.

Even if it took her ages to get up – it was the weekend away – Johnny returned to their shared bedroom and plopped beside her. He laid on the bed with his body face down, showing off his wide but sculpted back. He rested his face on one of their pillows and looked at her lovingly.

“Love, please,” she said breathlessly, captivated with his beauty. “Come on now, let’s have breakfast,” he cooed, pulling her wrist repeatedly from his comfortable position.

“What did you prepare for us?” Essie replied, now standing at the foot of the bed. “The usual, because that’s the best I can cook,” he chuckled before he stood up and carried her bridal-style to their dining room.

“Thank you,” she said once he helped her to her seat. She pecked him on the cheek, which he returned on the lips. “Anything for my darling Essie.”

–––

FIN

P.S. If you’ve noticed, I tend to end my stories with that line. It may or may not be intentional. 

Steal Your Girl

It’s been a busy week for me, hence the lack of updates. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to post as much in the coming weeks, but rest assured that this blog will not die. 

Anyway, let’s get back to complicating things with EXO’s maknae Oh Sehun this time. Say what? 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: This piece is a precursor to this. Read about Essie meeting Sehun for the first time, and the hilarious shit that she says when inebriated.

POV: 3rd person 

Word count: 1,200 + words

Warning: Italics are for thoughts and foreign words. Since they’re all adults here, expect a lot of alcohol mentions. Please drink responsibly, and don’t get into trouble for this if you’re a minor. Damn, I miss drinking my wine, beer, and soju, y’all.

––––

Meeting Oh Sehun for the first time was an uncomfortable and awkward experience for Essie.

The guy didn’t do anything at all – it was just his vibe that put the girl off. He visited the apartment she shared with her best friend Johnny Suh after his schedule, and he wore a surly face almost throughout the night.  

She knew that Johnny was Mr. Congeniality, but she was surprised that he hadn’t introduced Mr. Oh Sehun to her until now.

“Hey, Essie. I’d like you to meet Oh Sehun. You can call him Sehunnie,” was her housemate’s introduction to the guy who almost obscured his face with a black bucket hat.

“Youngho, not that,” he whined, nudging Johnny on the ribs.

“Aw, come on! She’s a great girl, you’ll love her,” the Korean-American returned the nudge to his friend.

It was the first time Sehun looked at Essie, and she felt a mixture of fear and shyness. It was as if he was staring straight into her soul with his piercing gaze. When he didn’t say anything, Johnny proceeded with his spiel.

“And this sweet girl is Essie Park, my bestie and housemate.” The girl felt her best friend’s arm loop around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. She went along with his act and gave a small smile to her guest. He didn’t return it and continued to stare at her.

“Nice to meet you, Sehun,” she said, reaching out her hand for him to shake. He took it wordlessly and gave it a good shake before he plopped himself on the sofa.

“Do you have any soju or beer here?” The girl winced at Sehun’s voice, which sounded hoarse and a bit scratchy. Maybe he smokes a lot. Ugh, I hope I don’t end up talking like that…she thought, breaking away from her best friend’s hold.

“But of course! Do you think we’d run out of alcohol here? Not with this chick around,” Johnny pointed at Essie, who flipped the bird at him. Sehun chuckled at their interaction, making the girl look at their guest.

He stared at her again, and she was becoming more bothered with it.

\\\

Sehun had dinner with them first before they set up the balcony for drinks. It was a good thing that Essie just replenished their alcohol supply with soju, beer, and wine. The guest helped himself to a bottle of grapefruit-flavored soju while Johnny and Essie started with cabernet sauvignon.

“Really, wine first? You’ll regret your choice later,” Sehun commented before taking a swig of his drink.

“Is there a rule on drinking which alcohol you should take first?” Essie felt sassy after sipping on the wine.

“No, you drink whatever you want. I was just about to share that drinking wine first before soju didn’t end well with me, but since you seem so riled up about it, I won’t continue.” The guy in the all-black outfit huffed, turning away from her as he continued drinking his soju in peace.

The girl looked at her companion for help, but all she received was a shrug. “That’s just the way he is, baby. Let him be,” Johnny whispered, swirling his glass of wine.

It was Essie’s turn to stare at Sehun – specifically the back of his head and his phone – and she hoped that she made him feel uncomfortable this time.

\\\

The night was still young, and all of them were on the verge of being thrashed. Sehun was massaging his temples, Johnny was a laughing mess, and Essie kept on bumbling about anything.

“So I told him, he should go home because I can’t bear the thought of him shitting all over the place,” the girl was slurring, but she did her best to finish her story.

“And then what did he do? Did he listen to what you said or made a shit of himself?” It took Johnny to reply as he kept on laughing now and then.

“Ugh, you two! Shut the fuck up!” Sehun groaned, covering his face with both hands. “You’re making my headache with your noise…”

“I suggest you leave then,” All signs of Essie slurring disappeared as she glared at their guest. “If you can’t tolerate our noise, go ahead. You’ve been nothing but a rude guest who can’t seem to smile at others who are sharing theirs with you.”

“Baby, please stop,” It seemed that Johnny was (sort of) back to his senses as he held his best friend’s arm. “Don’t provoke him. That’s just the way he is, I told you.”

“Me? A rude guest? Because I’m not smiling? Well, I’m sorry, princess. It’s your first time meeting me, and you’re already closing your doors on me.” Sehun positioned himself on the floor, right across from Essie.

“See? The way you talk is so…cocky! You’re so self-assured! You’re overconfident! You’re worse than him!” The girl pointed her thumb at her best friend, who called her out. “Hey! Don’t drag me into this baby!”

“Who did he learn it from, huh? Of course, it’s me who taught him to be like that!” The guy across Essie pounded on his chest to emphasize his point.

“Hey, I didn’t learn it from you dude! This is all-natural self-confidence!” Johnny piped in, his turn to pound his chest.

“Ugh, whatever! Both of you are pompous idiots who happen to be very handsome!” Essie raised her hands in frustration before standing up to leave the balcony.

The two guys looked at each other first before they looked at the balcony’s sliding door.

“Did she just call us handsome?” Johnny asked, slowly tilting his head to face his close friend again.  

“Very handsome, at that. I wonder who she could be referring to,” Sehun replied, running a hand through his hair.

“She did say it’s us, Sehun hyung,” the younger guy started laughing again. “I told you she’s a lovely girl. The words that come out of her mouth amaze me every time, especially when she’s drunk.”

“I get what you mean. She amuses me. I want to get to know her more, Youngho.”

“You know you’re like a brother to me, but I won’t allow that.”

Sehun raised an eyebrow at his dongsaeng. “You already got first dibs?”

“Back off, Sehun hyung. Please. She’s mine.”

“But she doesn’t know that she’s yours. Technically, she’s a free woman with no attachments.”

“Oh Sehun. Please. Don’t.” Johnny’s words hung in the air as the two men stared at each other.

“I can’t promise you anything, bro…” Sehun stood up from his position and went inside, presumably to follow Essie to wherever she was.

Johnny was quick to follow, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that his friend went to the kitchen for a glass of water.

“You think I’m just going to sweep her away?” Sehun smirked before he drank another glass of water. “I know you could that,” his close friend said, folding his arms over his chest.

“Relax. I just want to get to know her better as a friend too, you know.”

“Sometimes, you make me feel nervous hyung, and tonight is one of them.” Johnny sighed, leaning against the wall.

Sehun laughed at his reaction and patted him on the back. “But really, I’ll do let you know if I’m going to steal your girl, so you better watch out.”

–––

FIN

With Family (Part I)

Since we’ve got the friends-to-lovers thing down pat, there’s got to be a part of the story that focuses on meeting the parents or the rest of the family. Am I right? 

Here’s a new mini-series with that concept, and I hope you’ll like it. 

As always, here’s Johnny, but serving boyfriend looks in his white shirt, jeans, and sneakers. I wish I was already a fan when Ennana was still airing though.

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

–––

Summary: In this first installment, Essie takes Johnny to her family home and introduces him as her boyfriend for the first time. Do things go smoothly or end up hilariously? Well, go ahead and read the darn thing. 

POV: 2nd person

Word count: 900+ words

Warning: Italics are for foreign words. 

–––

You hyperventilated in the car as you realized, for the nth time today, that you were bringing home Johnny to meet your family. This time, it's as your boyfriend, not the close friend you brought last Christmas. 

“Baby, please. Don’t be nervous. We can do it. They’ll love me,” your driver, who is actually your boyfriend, reassured. He held your hand with his free one while the other was on the wheel. 

You took a glance at him and gulped. He looked so perfect in just a white shirt, faded blue jeans, and a pair of high-top Chuck Taylors. 

“I know they’ll do. But still, I’m nervous. More so when I meet yours…next week?” You buried your face in your free hand, and your breathing got worse.  

“I’m sure Eomma will love you too,” his grip on your hand tightened. “But remember, I’m not pure Korean. I have Filipino blood in me too,” you mumbled, focusing your attention on the scenery outside. 

“That doesn’t matter! She’ll love you no matter what. Anyway, we’re near your home now!” He said in a singsong voice, making you uneasier in your seat. 

When you saw the all-too-familiar red arrow gate of your home, you shut your eyes. “This is it, Mommy and my sisters will meet him as my boyfriend now,” you mumbled to yourself, which Johnny heard. 

“Yes, and they will adore me. They will think I’m perfect for you. They will think you hit the jackpot with me,” he responded to your soliloquy before kissing the hand he held. 

“Where do you get that confidence, honey? I wish I had that as well,” you said, now looking at his face. He gave you one of the most heartwarming smiles of mankind, and you sighed dreamily. 

“I hope that smile gives you confidence,” he chuckled, now letting go of your hand. “Sorry, I have to focus on parking first.” You placed the hand he held on your lap as he went silent for a moment since double-parking remained a challenge for him. 

\\\

Now that you were outside the gate of your house, Johnny slipped on a black jacket and a baseball cap. He didn’t want to look too casual at first but shared his plan to remove these items once inside. 

You rang the doorbell to your house, and your elder sister opened the gate for you two. “Hey John,” she greeted, giving him a fist bump. She has met him before your other sister, and apparently, they bonded over sports, which you couldn’t get into no matter how hard you tried. 

As you stepped inside your house, the dining table was filled with your favorite food. You noticed that there was some Korean food too – your other sister must’ve cooked that. She appeared a moment later, still in her apron. “Hey, you two,” she greeted, giving you a peck on the cheek while she shook hands with your boyfriend. “I’ll just freshen up a bit, and I’ll meet you back here.” With that, she disappeared into her room.

Your mother was the last to show herself, and Johnny was quick to help her. She had a cane, and you rushed to her side as well. “Hi Mommy,” you said softly, “we’re here now.”

“Hi sweetie,” she responded, giving you a small smile. “And if it isn’t John! I knew you two would end up with each other,” she addressed Johnny with a bigger smile, making the guy blush. 

“Thank you if you thought that way, Mommy,” he said as he held your mother’s free hand. “And you’re calling me Mommy already!” Your mother guffawed before looking at you. “I think he wants to marry you, sweetie. But aren’t you still young?” 

It was your turn to blush now, and your sisters were looking at you funnily. 

“Told you, she’s the one who’s going to get married next,” your elder sister said before holding out a hand to your other sister. “Five bucks, please.”

“Nuh-uh! Unless there’s a ring on it, I won’t pay you!” The eldest one replied, flipping her hair before heading toward her seat on the dining table. 

Your mother continued to laugh at the scenario, and you and Johnny could only exchange awkward smiles. 

\\\

The dinner turned out great – your boyfriend loved the Korean dishes your eldest sister prepared. He also loved the Filipino food your other sister cooked, such as the tinolang manok and afritada. 

“Never knew Filipino cuisine was this diverse,” he commented as he bit a potato from the afritada. 

“There’s more to our cuisine than just seafood, hijo,” your mother commented, who was now extracting meat from crab pinchers. 

“And I don’t like seafood, sorry,” you mumbled, taking another spoonful of rice and meat. 

“It’s okay, I cook more meat dishes anyway,” he said, smiling at you as he finished the potato he was eating. 

“You’re lucky you found a guy who can cook for you, hija,” your mother said in between chewing crabmeat. “John, do you know she has quite an appetite?”

“Moooom!” You whined, feeling your cheeks warm from her expose. “But it’s true!” Both of your sisters said simultaneously, which made your boyfriend laugh. 

“Yes, I do. She eats a lot, especially when it’s her favorite food. I saw her finish a gallon of ice cream in one sitting,” he said, making your family laugh this time.  

“Jooooohn!” You glared at him, which he responded to with a wink. “Don’t be shy with them! They’re your family! They’re the first to know of your appetite before me, duh,” he patted your arm to calm you down. 

“Yeah, why are you shy sharing this information with us? You know we still love you even if you can finish the contents of the fridge in a week,” your eldest sister said, earning the sniggers of everyone else on the table. 

You puffed your cheeks in defeat and continued to eat in silence.

–––

FIN

P.S. I know, it seems incomplete – I ran out of creative juice when I wrote that. I’m leaving it there, or maybe I’ll update it when I’m inspired again.

Down

We all have these moments when we’re not ourselves – we feel lost, uninspired, bothered, and plenty of others. Those are not good feelings to have, but we feel them from time to time. 

Since idols are humans like us, they do have these moments too. However, they don’t put it on display and try their best to appear as positive role models all the time. 

But what if? Yes, we’re getting there, but not to the extreme. I hope you’ll enjoy this short contemplative piece. 

Here’s a blonde Johnny looking adorable and wistful at the same time in this GIF. I’m sure you guys have watched this Awsaz episode already! Have you?

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: Johnny has a sudden moment of sadness, and Essie does her best to cheer him up. Did she succeed, or did she make him feel bad? Yes, I like asking questions a lot. 

POV: 3rd person 

Word count: 703 words to be exact

–––

Although his bandmates found it usual for Johnny to stare into space, Essie felt unsettled by it.

On one warm afternoon, the girl found him doing it while he sat still on their sofa. It was just the two of them at home, with Mark busy recording at the studio. He won’t be back until late in the evening, or worse, until the wee hours of the morning.

Essie just woke up from her afternoon nap and saw her lover staring into space on the sofa. Both of his hands were placed on his knees, and he sat with his back straight. He looked like a statue out of a museum.

“Love?” She whispered, approaching him cautiously.

When he didn’t answer, she took it as a cue to sit on the couch. “Love,” she repeated, moving closer to him slowly.

“Yes, babe?” He finally answered, his eyes still focused on whatever it is he’s staring at.

“What’s wrong?” This time, Essie was just a breath away from his face.

He looked at her, and there it was – tears pooling at the corner of his eyes. “I feel sad, to be honest,” he started softly, gently taking her hands with his. “I feel like I’m not doing enough.”

Her eyes widened at his statement, and she gripped his hands tightly. “Hey, don’t think of that. You’re enough. What you’re doing is enough. Don’t be so hard on yourself.”

“Despite the efforts my bandmates and I are making, it feels like we could never satisfy our fans,” he started rubbing the tops of her hands as he looked away from her.

“Hey,” Essie grabbed his face with one hand and tilted it toward her. “Your efforts are enough. You have done a lot for everyone. But remember, we can’t please everybody. Fans can be really toxic, and it’s for you guys to rise above it. I know all of us want to make everyone happy, but unfortunately, some people don’t see it that way…” It was her turn to look away, but that didn’t last long as she composed herself easily. “Crap, that wasn’t helpful at all, was it?”

Johnny chuckled at her statement and pulled her into his lap. “Thanks, baby, what you said is enough too,” he kissed her left temple, “and I’m grateful to have a partner who knows how to cheer up her loved ones,” he kissed her right temple this time. “I hope I get out of this funk soon…”

“You will be,” she said confidently, twisting her body so she could face him. “You’re Johnny Suh. You are a strong, confident, and passionate man. You are also the most handsome man I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and becoming my boyfriend. You are everything to me, and of course, your parents,” that got giggles from both of them, “and don’t forget that I love you from the bottom of my heart.”

“Awww, my baby is so sweet!” He cooed, his hands now rubbing circles on her back. “I love you too, Miss Jessica Park.” They shared a passionate kiss that made them forget about their problems and the concept of time.

It had been a while since both of them got intimate, after their quick rendezvouses and Essie’s trip to her home country. The girl was aware and admitted to Johnny that she had distanced herself even if he continued to do his best to repair their relationship. Good thing that his hard work paid off and their relationship has restarted in the best way possible.

“Damn baby,” were the first things Johnny said after they pulled apart from kissing. “Damn indeed,” Essie whispered, her hands massaging his shoulder blades. “Yeah, that’s the spot, keep going…” he purred, his breath tickling the crook of her neck.

Once he felt more at ease with her massage, he positioned her to sit next to him. “Thank you, my baby princess,” he said, his hands slipping into the spaces in between hers.

“Anything for you, my dear Youngho,” she said in a singsong manner, eliciting giggles from them both. “It’s now my turn to pamper you, and you better not make complaints on how I’m going to show you my love.”

–––

FIN

With Family (Part II)

This installment will be the last for now, but rest assured that I will write more of this since it’s something I have fun thinking scenarios of. 

One of my many inspirations for this part aside from my personal life was Johnny’s outfits when he went to America late last year. 

Heck, I even made a collage of it with one of Adam Driver’s looks in Marriage Story because both looked so similar but had different tones! Please see image below: 

In short, I really like big and tall guys. Dude has to be since I’m also like that in real life. Well, I’m not that tall, but others think that’s the case. 

Anyway, mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: After meeting Essie’s mother and sisters, it’s time for Johnny to meet her estranged father. Also, read more about the couple’s dynamic at home. Can you relate to them, especially those who have been in a relationship or are in a relationship? Please let me know by commenting on this post!

POV: 2nd person

Word count: 1,600 + words

Warning: Italics are for foreign terms. Since we have songs mentioned here again, please scroll down to the bottom of the post to listen to them while reading or whatnot. 

–––

“Baby, wake up,” you stirred at the husky voice of your boyfriend who was gently shaking you. 

“I’m awake,” you mumbled, slowly opening your eyes. You saw him in his usual brown hoodie and sweatpants, and he looked worse for wear like you are right now. 

“We have to leave the house at eight,” he pulled off the covers from your body, “since we’re going to have Mass with your family.” 

You stood up straight immediately and shrieked. “Oh my god, I almost forgot about that!” You covered your face in your hands, ashamed that you were almost running late and at the thought of Johnny meeting your father for the first time. 

He had already met your sisters and your mother a couple of weeks ago, but now he was going to meet your estranged father. 

You and your father didn’t have any beef. It was just him and your mother who had a complicated relationship. You grew in a dysfunctional family because of that, but that doesn’t mean that you love one parent more than the other.

“It’s okay, baby. I’ve already met your family except…” His voice trailed off, afraid that you might not like what he was going to say next. 

“Yes, you’re going to meet my father,” you dropped your hands on your lap and looked at him. He was concerned at how antsy you were feeling and kissed your forehead. “Don’t worry. I can handle him. Maybe he’s not going to handle me,” he chuckled, his hands taking in yours. 

“Well, let’s see about that…” you squeezed his hands, “but we better get moving, shall we?” 

He nodded and led you to the bathroom, wherein you saw your towels hanging next to each other on the rack. 

“So, who’s going to take a bath first?” You let go of his hands and placed them on your hips. “Of course, I’ll be the one who goes first,” he pointed a thumb to himself as he went to the sink and plucked his toothbrush from the holder. 

“Okay, why did I have to ask,” you grumbled, tugging on your shorts as you plunked yourself in the toilet. “And don’t look, just focus on brushing your teeth,” you pointed a finger at him as you shimmied yourself out of your panties. 

Good thing Johnny was intent on brushing his teeth while you peed. Since he was intent on brushing all corners of his teeth, he didn’t notice that you were done until he heard the flushing of the toilet. 

“Call me when you’re done with that, okay?” You said as you went back to the bedroom. 

\\\

A few minutes later, Johnny was done and went back to the bedroom to tell you it was your turn to brush your teeth. 

But before words came out of his mouth, he was speechless at the sight of you just in his shirt and your panties. Your butt was on full display for him as you lied on the bed scrolling through your social media feed. 

He slapped your butt, and you immediately turned to see him smirking at you. 

“You just had to do that, huh,” he whispered, pinching your thighs this time. You swatted his hands away from you and got up, pulling down your shirt, so he doesn’t see your panties anymore. 

“Take a bath now, please,” you said as you got your toothbrush and squeezed a pea-sized amount of toothpaste. “Yes ma’am,” he purred as he removed his hoodie, revealing his perfectly sculpted body. 

You tried your best to look away, but he didn’t let you – instead, he winked at you as he flexed his body in front of the mirror. 

“Like what you see, baby?” He said, slowly approaching you.  

You rolled your eyes in response, but deep inside you could feel your insides warming up. “Just take a bath now, please,” you said in between brushing your teeth. 

He slapped your butt again before he cackled his way to the shower. “If only we weren’t in a hurry, I’d want for us to take a shower together.”

“Younghooooo!” 

\\\

You returned to the bedroom again and groaned as you listened to him sing in the shower. At first, he sang ‘A Whole New World’ and you were singing Jasmine’s part silently. Then, he sang ‘Change the World’ (by Eric Clapton) and even did the guitar sounds of the song. The last song he sang was ‘True to Your Heart’ from the Mulan soundtrack, which you couldn’t help but sing along to loudly as well. 

Once he was done, he emerged in the bedroom with his towel wrapped around his waist. “It’s your turn now,” he said at the doorway while holding a seductive pose. You flipped the bird on him before removing your shirt inside the bathroom. 

“Damn baby, you’re looking finer each day,” he howled, his eyes focused on your chest. “Johnny, please! Get dressed now!” Your cheeks were burning as you stepped inside the shower. 

“But really, your boobs are getting bigger and your ass firmer!” You heard him say from the bedroom, and you screamed in annoyance.

\\\

You left the house at exactly 7:45 a.m., and both of you wore burnt orange. You rocked your favorite corduroy skirt in that autumnal color while he wore it in a turtleneck, which fit him snugly. 

“We totally look like a couple,” you said while you eyed your skirt and his turtleneck. “Well, aren’t we?” He replied, his hand slipping into yours as he drove with one hand as always. 

“I know,” you looked at him in the eye, and he winked, earning giggles from the both of you. 

“You’re such a flirt! Do you know that, my love?” 

“Yes, I know. But only to you.”

\\\

You arrived at the church right before the Mass started, and you saw your family waving at you at the far right corner of the place. Your mother was beside your father, who looked dashing in his black shirt and jeans. Sitting beside your mother was your elder sister and her girlfriend, while beside your father was your eldest sister and her American husband. You decided to sit beside your elder sister and her partner, with you sandwiched between your boyfriend and your sister’s partner. 

After the Mass, you had lunch at the nearest Korean restaurant, and Johnny was gushing how cute your parents were. 

“It looks like your mom’s totally in love with your father still,” he whispered as you waited for the meat to be cooked on the grill.

“I know, but he doesn’t really feel that same anymore,” you whispered back, tightening your grip on his arm. You saw that his face fell, and you pecked him on the cheek to cheer him up. 

“Don’t be sad, but that’s the truth. It’s rare for me to see my mother this happy though,” your eyes were focused on how your mother was feeding kimchi to your father, who took it hesitantly. 

“I want us to have a loving and long-lasting relationship, baby,” he kissed your hand after he whispered those sweet words to your ear. 

“Me too, love.” But before you could look at each other with goo-goo eyes, your elder sister cleared your throat and raised an eyebrow at you two. 

“Some of us are trying to eat here, lovebirds.”

You and Johnny mouthed your apologies and went back to eating. 

\\\

The day went by fast – everyone took a walk in the park and enjoyed what nature had to offer. Johnny was quick to assist your parents when they had difficulty walking or moving, and you followed suit. You endured the teasing you got from your family while your boyfriend tried his best not to join in and defend you. 

But the highlight of today’s event was his bonding with your father. You overheard them talking about photography, and you couldn’t help but smile at their interaction. 

“Essie, why don’t you set up a photo walk in all of the parks in the city? I know you did that before,” your father said as he noticed you observing them. 

“Yeah, I know, but I’m not sure if all of my photographer friends are still in the country,” you replied sheepishly. 

“Nonsense! There will always be people who love photography and would love to get to know people through it,” your father eyed Johnny with a smile on his face, “and let’s do it next week?”

You glanced at your boyfriend, who looked ecstatic at attending his first photo walk. 

“Sure, Dad. I’ll do that.”

\\\

On the drive home, Johnny was beaming with all the things he learned from your family. 

“Your dad’s so cool, baby! You never told me he’s like a master photographer of sorts! I can’t wait to borrow his medium format camera next week!” He was squealing like a teenage girl as he went into the nitty-gritty of photography. 

“Well, now you know,” you grumbled, looking at the car window. “I’m glad you enjoyed today.” 

“Yes, I did. I hope we’ll get to do this next time with my family,” He looked at your reflection on the car window and saw a panicked expression on your face. 

“Baby, don’t worry. Eomma and Appa love you already,” he squeezed your hand gently. “And they can’t wait to see you again.”

You cried silently on the trip home as he held your hand. Although you have already met his parents, you still felt afraid of them. Your heritage was something that you thought they would have issues with, but they said that it was okay. 

What mattered most was that Johnny was happy with the woman he loves, and they could see that whenever you were around him. 

It was after that second meeting with his parents that he admitted of his plans of settling down, and you fainted because you knew what would come next.

He was going to propose to you eventually. You just had to prepare yourself when and where he was going to do it.

–––

FIN

Puppy

And we’re back with some good old fluff, inspired by this photo that I got from Pinterest: 

I’ll leave it up to you to deduce what the story will be, but know it’s going to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

–––

Summary: This piece, like many others to come, was written using this fluff generator. Here’s the prompt it generated: 

 A puppy follows Johnny home, and Johnny can't bear to part with it. Johnny brings the puppy inside and tries to hide it from Essie.

POV: 3rd person 

Word count: 1,200 + words

Warning: There’s a song embedded at the end of this post since I mentioned one. However, it’s not for very young children since the album it appeared in has an Explicit Content sticker on it. But if you’re not a minor, then it’s all good. Just in case any kiddies are reading, you know? 

–––

On his way home, Johnny noticed a black Labrador puppy following him.

He did a photo walk by himself since his best friend, Essie, was busy at work.

They were living together for now since her apartment was under renovation.

Her other best friend, Nini, was the one overseeing the project and had to stay behind. As much as it pained Essie to be away from Nini, she was able to transition well in his home.

After all, he replicated the vibe of her old bedroom in his spare space. He was all about the little details, which she appreciated.

Johnny remembered her as the puppy moved faster so it could walk beside him. He knew that Essie was afraid of dogs, but who could be afraid of a cute little ball of fur?

He picked up the dog whose tiny tail was now wagging. It looked at him expectantly, as if wanting to be taken home. It had silky black fur and huge brown eyes. It didn’t have a collar, which meant that it didn’t belong to anyone.

It was as if the puppy was meant for him, meant to be brought home.

That’s what he did as he carried it like a baby. Passersby cooed at how adorable his little buddy was, some stopping him on the road to pet its glossy fur. Others waved at it, and the puppy barked in response. It was probably delighted that many people found it cute, which is actually the case.

As Johnny was approaching his apartment, he remembered Essie once more. He wasn’t sure how she would react if he brought home the puppy: either she will be terrified, or she will be fine with it. Maybe she would get over her fear of dogs if they have a puppy around!

Despite the brief optimism he thought of his new buddy, he was afraid that it would make Essie uncomfortable. Once he was at the door of his apartment, he decided that he would hide the puppy first.

\\\

Essie arrived around 8 p.m. and looked like a hot mess. Her curly hair was all over the place, and there were food stains on her cardigan.

“Hey, how are you?” Johnny asked, cautiously approaching the girl whose blaring headphones he could hear. He heard Limp Bizkit’s ‘Rollin’, and that could only mean one thing – she was royally pissed.

She took off her headphones and gave a deep sigh. “As always, I’m tired. I had a lot to do for the day, and my brain is ready to be replaced,” she said.

But before she could even change into her pair of room slippers, a small black figure dashed to her side.

Johnny’s eyes widened as he saw the puppy, whom he named Jordan, looking at Essie excitedly.

He hid the puppy in a box where he could easily see it while he cooked dinner. However, he became engrossed in his cooking that he forgot about it.

Essie was frozen in her spot, unable to move since she didn’t know what the puppy will do next. If she moves quickly, the dog may move in the same manner as well. It is also possible that it might get her slippers and gnaw it. If she moves slowly, the dog will continue to look at her curiously and even bark, as if asking what she is doing.

“John…” She started, staring at the puppy who was returning her gesture.

“Yes, babe?” He asked, looking at their interaction.

“Why do we suddenly have a puppy here?”

This time, she looked at him, and he could tell that she was both annoyed and scared.

“Well, it was following me on the way home, and I decided to take it with me because it was too cute to resist…” He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.

There was a brief silence before Essie replied. “Can you please get the puppy first? I want to change into comfortable clothes.”

Johnny was quick to pick up the puppy and cradled it to his chest. Essie was able to change into her room slippers with ease and went to her bedroom to change clothes.

“You scared Mommy, baby,” he whispered to the puppy, who barked in response. “What? You’re mad at me? Why? After all that I’ve done for you!” He rocked the puppy in his arms, who went silent and decided to snuggle on his arms.

A few moments later, Essie reemerged in her shirt and track bottoms. She watched Johnny taking care of the puppy like it was his baby.

“If this isn’t the cutest thing ever,” she said, leaning against the wall with her arms folded. There was a smile on her face, which made Johnny blush.

He could only count the times Essie smiled genuinely. She laughed most of the time, and seeing her smile at what he was doing gave him weird feelings.

It shouldn’t be weird when he knew that he loves her, right?

Johnny continued to stroke the puppy’s head until it fell asleep on him. This was Essie’s cue to come near and observe the animal. It was definitely cute, just like the guy who was holding him.  

“Would you like to hold Jordan?” he asked, offering the puppy to her. She nodded silently, and he handed her the small dog carefully so it wouldn’t wake up.

Once she did, she cooed at how soft and silky its fur was. She cradled it like a baby as well and even hummed a lullaby. It was Johnny’s turn to gush at this scene and clasped his hands together in glee. “This is the cutest thing ever!” He cried before going to his room to get his camera.

He took a picture of his two favorites – one was with Essie looking at the camera and tilting Jordan towards the camera, and the other was a candid one with her looking at the dog fondly.

Eventually, they put Jordan back in his box and had dinner. While they were eating steak and mashed potatoes, Essie broke their silence with her suggestion.

“Why don’t we get a dog bed for him and some toys?”

Johnny almost choked on his food and looked at her in shock. “You aren’t mad that we have a puppy now?”

She shook her head and gave him another smile that melted his heart. “Yeah, I don’t mind. I mean, it’s really cute. And maybe I can get over my cynophobia with Jordan. And by the way, why did you name him that?”

“He looked like a Jordan to me, babe! And of course, I need another representation of my hometown!”

Both of them laughed at this, as Johnny is known for adding his ‘Chicago’ touch on just about anything.

The evening ended with them watching Netflix on the couch with a newly-awakened Jordan on Essie’s lap. Johnny couldn’t help but smile at both of them as they focused their attention on the screen. He felt warm and complete – he wanted this to be his future. Maybe the only thing missing is a kid, but for now, he’s content that they have this stray puppy that became theirs.

–––

FIN

P.S. Don’t be like Johnny and pick up a stray puppy out of nowhere, even if it’s the cutest thing ever. Safety first?

Video Call

Imagine if this was the view on your phone screen. 

I might pass out in real life, but we have Essie to fulfill our fangirl fantasies. 

Before you think anything else about this piece, let me say that it’s fluffy and funny. Well, a bit funny. You guys know how I write already. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

–––

Summary: To change things up, this piece was not written with a fluff generator in mind. I was just missing Johnny and thought of writing video call snippets and more between him and Essie. 

POV: 3rd person 

Word count: 700 + words

Warning: One of the scenarios here was inspired by real-life, and as usual with me, it has sexual innuendoes. Nothing extreme, just a bit perverted. There’s also a song at the end of the post since I mentioned one here too. Lastly, text messages are with single quotations and italics. 

–––

“I miss you so much already,” Essie whined to the screen, pouting when she saw her boyfriend smirk at her. 

Johnny was in Chicago right now, visiting his parents. Although she had already met them here a couple of months ago, they returned to the place they called home a week after that. 

The first week of December passed by with them apart from each other. She was sad that he wasn’t going to spend the holidays with her, and that included her birthday. She understood that he has family on the other side of the globe, and it has been a while since he was there.

“Don’t you think that I feel the same way?” Johnny huffed, looking briefly at both of his sides, “I miss you so much too, baby. I’ll find a way to be there on your birthday,” He looked sadly at the camera and frowned when he saw that his girlfriend was tearing up. 

“It’s fine, love. I understand your obligations,” she sniffed, “the most we can do is to keep in touch with each other. But I hope you’ll be here for my 27th…”

“I’ll try my best, okay? Don’t cry now,” he comforted her through the screen, pressing his thumb lightly over the image of her crying face. 

Their call lasted for a few more minutes since Essie had visitors coming. She decided to host a fancy dinner for her closest friends – Nini was out of the country with Jongin, if people were curious to know – before their social calendar becomes full with other holiday parties. 

Later on, she received a text from Johnny: ‘Hope you had fun with your dinner party! And I hope you didn’t drink a lot. I’m not there to baby you and your hangover. Be a good girl tonight, and I promise to make it up to you when I get back. I love you so much, my baby princess!’

She couldn’t help but get teary-eyed again with his message, but at the same time, her smile grew bigger. 

Essie felt so loved this evening despite the distance she has now with her boyfriend. 

\\\

Johnny laughed when he opened the photo that his girlfriend of more than six months sent him.  

Essie sent him a photo of her eating a Hungarian sausage with gusto. She bit into the meat stick with her eyes closed, with cheese oozing out at the sides.

He knew that his girl loved meat, but this was telling him something else as well. The message that accompanied her photo was: ‘I got myself a Hungarian sausage with cheese at the food bazaar today. It reminded me of you; I don’t know why. Or maybe I do know why! Hahahaha love you John hope you eat something that reminds you of me~’

“Baby, you’re hilarious,” he said to no one in particular before he burst into laughter again.  

A few hours later, he sent her a photo of him eating a carton of her favorite ice cream.  He added a message too: ‘Of course, I just have to eat your favorite baby! As one of your favorite songs said: you’re cold as ice cream but still as sweet. So dry your eyes, Sunday girl~’ 

After reading it, the girl sang the lyrics he referenced, earning her looks from fellow pedestrians. She shrugged them off and hummed the song as she continued her walk home. 

\\\

There was nothing new with Essie swiping Johnny’s clothing, especially his outerwear. 

The guy chuckled when he received a photo of his love wearing his brown fuzzy jacket. The caption of her photo read: ‘Mama Bear misses you so much, Papa Bear. Since you’re not here, I’ll wear this for now. Thank you and love you forever John!’ 

He replied to her post with a selfie of him pouting. ‘Who said you could wear that, Mama Bear? Loljk of course we have shared custody over that fluffy jacket haha I love you more Essie!’ was the message he typed after sending his photo.  

On the other side of the screen, Essie giggled when she saw her boyfriend’s response to her photo. “Shared custody, eh?” She eyed at the teddy jacket she now wore, “As if this thing’s our baby! John is silly, as always!” She wiggled her fingers first before she composed her reply to his latest message. 

––

FIN

Body

You know Johnny’s been showing off his body more since the year started, and are we complaining? 

Although the GIF doesn’t show much of his sculpted body, know that it has already left an imprint on my mind. 

His toned physique inspired me to write something that is not smut, but more of a wholesome appreciation for it. 

Want to know more? Then, read on!

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

–––

Summary: Despite those things I said above, this piece was written with the help of this fluff generator. Here’s the prompt it generated: 

Every time Johnny undresses, Essie notices something new and adorable about their body.

POV: 3rd person

Word count: 700 + words

––

The little things always get us, right?

Essie sighed at every detail she noticed about Johnny’s body.

It took her a couple of months into their relationship to know that he had a birthmark on his left hip. It was shaped like a bean (almost like a coffee bean, which delighted him) and was quite near his inner thigh.

She noticed it when he sat with his legs apart, and his boxer shorts were riding up a bit on his seat. She didn’t say anything about it and looked at it instead whenever he wasn’t looking at her.

It made her glance at the dot-sized birthmark she had on her right hand, which she didn’t really think about. It was always there, and she thought that he might think of the same thing with his.

\\\

When Johnny took off his shirt in front of Essie, she noticed that he had an insect bite on his left side. It was a small red dot, just like the one on his neck.

She quietly approached him and poked it, making the guy jump in surprise. “Baby, what the heck?” he asked, covering his topless body with the shirt he just removed.

“You have another insect bite here,” she poked at the protruding red dot again. “Don’t you ever clean your bed?”

“Says the girl who has more insect bites than me,” he huffed, pointing at the little red marks on her calves.

“Well, you got me. But yours are prominent because it stands out on your pale ass skin,” she remarked, pointing at the bite on his neck this time.

“Oh well, what do you suppose I do then?” He dropped the shirt on the floor and dragged her into the bed with him.

“I have a cream that can help with that,” Essie fumbled through her bedside table and took out a canister of sebo de macho. “I’ll put it on once you’re done with your shower, okay?”

He looked at the tin can she held and nodded. “If you say so, baby.”

“Aren’t you bothered with that insect bite on your neck?”

“Well, I am. But they can’t get enough of me, so…” he ran a hand through his hair, “yeah, I think I’ll need that.”

She rolled her eyes at his cockiness and gently pushed him out of the bed. “Now off to the shower you go.”

\\\

When Johnny took off his sweatpants after a long day of dancing, Essie noticed that he had stretch marks on his behind. His boxer briefs were too tight, and she saw his tiger stripes up to his upper thigh.

“I never knew you had stretch marks,” she blurted, her eyes focusing on the marks that stood out on his skin.

“Well, I’ve been working out a lot lately, so they’re bound to appear,” he mumbled, looking at the full-length mirror to check on his marks.

“I never knew guys would have them,” she moved from the computer chair towards his bed, her eyes never leaving the image of his body in the mirror.

“They do too, baby,” he grabbed his towel behind the door, “and we’re even. I know you have some too, and I love them.”

She rolled her eyes at his statement and laid down on his bed. “I have lots, from my arms to my stomach to my legs,” she eyed at them with disdain. “And I can’t believe you like them.”

He threw the towel at the foot of his bed and joined her. “Don’t be ashamed of them, baby,” he kissed the ones that were on your arm, “they make us human. And imperfections make us…perfect,” he giggled at the end of his statement, realizing how cliché he sounded.

“That sounds so cheesy, love.” She turned to face him, her cheeks red from embarrassment. “But thank you. And please, go take a shower now. You stink.”

“But you have to come with me,” he pleaded, tugging her arm repeatedly. “Give me a good bath, please!”

Essie grunted while rolling him off the bed. “No, my love. You take a bath by yourself. You’re a big boy already.”

“But babyyyyy!” He whined, giving his best puppy eyes imitation as he faced her.

“No buts, sir! Take a bath now!”

––

FIN

Biohazard

Johnny Suh can make the funniest faces look like he’s flirting. Case in point: 

What does that have to do with this post? And what’s up with the title? I guess you have to read on to find out why. I’m such a tease, but let me have that moment from time to time. 

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :) 

–––

Summary: This is the last fluff generator-inspired post for now, and it comes from this prompt: 

Essie bakes Johnny cookies out of love. Unfortunately Johnny is pretty sure these cookies are a biohazard.

POV: 3rd person

Word count: 1,300 + words

–––

This week was particularly tiring for Johnny – he was busy with work as a DJ. He was invited to be a guest DJ at a popular radio station for a whole week and even played some tunes after each session. Sure, it might pay a lot, but it can be exhausting to be up at 11 in the evening and end the day around the wee hours of the morning.

Because of this stint, he wasn’t able to hang out with his girlfriend lately. Essie worked regular hours – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. – and when she came home, he was taking his second nap for the day. She would rest around 9 p.m., and he always ended up seeing her sleeping form on her bed. It pained him that she didn’t want to sleep on his bed without him in it.

“I’ll sleep on my bed for the meantime, okay? Please don’t take it personally,” she told him one time, with a sheepish smile on her face.

As much as he respected her wish, all he wanted was for her to sleep on his bed, so he could smell her scent when he went to sleep at six in the morning.

Essie would leave the house at five in the morning, and he was just on his way home. There were times that he offered to drive her to work, but she declined.

“You’re too tired already, I’ve got this,” she said softly, squeezing his hand.

He didn’t sound convinced, but once again, he had to respect her decision. He felt as if she wasn’t interested in their relationship anymore, but he was incorrect.

In fact, his girlfriend wanted to make it up to him by baking something. She had been looking at cookie recipes as of late and wanted to recreate them, even if she hasn’t baked them before.

She knew he would appreciate her effort even though she isn’t a great cook.

As soon as Essie got home from work on Friday, she got down to baking matcha chocolate chip cookies. She even hid her supplies so she could truly surprise him.

Johnny left early since he had to pick up Doyoung at his place. Sorry, you won’t see my handsome figure here tonight, but I’ll make it up to you this weekend! Love you baby princess~ was his message on a neon pink sticky note posted on the fridge.

She smiled as she pocketed the note in the pocket of her apron. His message motivated her to make the best cookies ever, which she hoped was the case. She rolled the sleeves of her shirt and shouted “Let’s get it!” like what their friends liked to say.

\\\

Essie wasn’t sure if what she made was edible or not. The cookies she baked were comically huge, a bit too hard, almost burnt, and the matcha kind of looked like mold. But when she took a bite, they were passable. It wasn’t too sweet nor too bitter. It didn’t taste like burnt batter either.

“I hope he’ll like this,” she mumbled to no one in particular as she shoved them in a pretty box.

As soon as she was done with her baking, she went to sleep. In her dreams, she felt bad that she didn’t even turn on the radio for the past few days to listen to Johnny. She tossed and turned in her sleep, feeling like a failure of a girlfriend.

And of course, she had to show off her nonexistent baking skills to make it up to him.

This woke her up, and she cried, frustrated at how his schedule was slowly tearing them apart. When she walked to the fridge to throw out the cookies that she made, she saw Johnny holding the box she put them in.

Her eyes widened in shock, not used at how early he was. She checked the clock, and it was 5:30 a.m.

“Hey baby, you’re up early. Go back to sleep,” he said, approaching her with the box of cookies she made. She eyed it with disdain, which he noticed. “Something wrong with this?” He placed the box on the table, and she could only sigh in response.

“I hope you like them. It’s my first time baking cookies so…” She sat on the chair across him, fiddling with her fingers so she couldn’t look at his expression.

“Is that so? How cute of you!” He cooed, using the cute voice he liked to do when talking to children. She felt her cheeks grow warm and covered it with both hands.

As she heard him unbox the cookies, she wanted to crawl back into her bed and hide in the covers. He didn’t deserve to eat these mediocre cookies, but she also wanted him to feel that she was making an effort to keep their relationship afloat.

“Baby…what the hell is this?”

The tone of his voice scared her, and she buried her face deeper in her hands.

“Those are supposed to be matcha chocolate chip cookies…” she mumbled.

“They look like a biohazard, baby. Are you sure it’s safe enough to eat?” She heard his footsteps walk closer to her, and he gently removed her hands from her face. He let her see her creation, and she cringed at it.

“I did my best, okay? I just wanted to make it up to you by creating something out of scratch…” She said with her eyes closed, tears threatening to fall from them.

When she heard him take a bite, she took a peek and saw an indescribable look on his face. She couldn’t decipher if he found her creation delicious or terrible. He took another bite with his eyes closed, chewing the cookie carefully.

“So…how was it?” she asked cautiously, her eyes glued on his face. It looked like he could cry at any moment as well.

“Passable, baby. The cookie’s a bit too hard, and I couldn’t taste the matcha that much,” he said as he took another bite.

She sighed in relief and relaxed on her seat, watching him finish the cookie on his hand. Once he did, he wiped his hands on his jeans and returned the box in the fridge.

“You’ll have to learn how to properly bake with me, okay? Why don’t we do it later?”

He picked her up from her seat and carried her bridal-style, which startled her. She wrapped her arms around his neck awkwardly and nodded. He kissed her forehead before he adjusted his hold on her since one wrong move on his part, or she would fall on the floor. She sensed his intention and helped him by pushing herself higher so his hands can carry her comfortably.

“You’re sleeping on my bed today since I’m back,” he whispered too closely to her ear, making her flinch. “You don’t have to do that,” she grumbled, loosening her hold on his neck.

“But I want to. And I know you missed this,” he teased as he even breathed down her neck. “Younghooooo!” She squealed, her face red in embarrassment. He laughed at her reaction and readjusted her once more in his arms as they approached his room.

“Let’s sleep now, okay? I’m ready to call it a night,” he said as he carefully placed her on his bed. “At least now I get to cuddle with my favorite plushie!” With that, he jumped on the bed and tackled her.

Essie felt defeated but in a good way – she knew she couldn’t do anything but accept his love by being the big baby that he still is.

They slept in each other’s arms – she was in her pajamas while he was still clad in his turtleneck and jeans.

He was so tired that he didn’t mind that his girlfriend’s cookies didn’t taste that great – he was happy that she still loves him and would do something out of her comfort zone to show her affection.

He felt like the luckiest man alive, but now, luck would be put aside for his much-needed rest.

–––

FIN

P.S. The face he makes in the GIF is something I imagine the look he’d react to Essie’s ‘biohazard’ cookies, and then he’ll wink at her for her effort and cuteness.  

Burnout

Hey.

I know what you might be thinking. Why only now. Or finally. Or why I had the nerve to do this when I had already left.

This isn’t easy for me, but you probably don’t care about that. I know you don’t deserve what I did to you. Or anyone else. No one deserves to be left alone without any warning.

I loved you, Y/N. But I was too afraid to tell you what I really felt after our work trip to that resort. That’s why I did what I did. I left, and I tried to remove all traces of you in my life.

But here I am, writing this letter and sending all the videos and pictures I have of you. It’s up to you if you want to keep them or burn them. We both deserve closure, and this is mine.

I sincerely apologize that I’ve hurt you so badly, but I can never take that back by being with you again. I doubt that you’ll give me another chance. But please hear me out for one last time by telling you the reasons why I decided to vanish from your life.

---

Summary: Y/N recalls her last great relationship, and it comes back to her unexpectedly when she returns to her hometown. Will she rekindle the flames she had with Johnny Suh, or will she remain with Jeong Jaehyun, the man who made her love again?

COMING SOON.

Dangerous

I'm in a Jeong Jaehyun mood lately.

I mean, who wouldn't be, especially if you're an NCTzen? Just kidding unless he isn't your bias huhu.

I guess I'm prepping myself to write Burnout, so have some of my writing about him in the meantime.

Here's the first one, inspired by numerous playbacks of The xx's "Dangerous."

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

POV: 2nd person

Word count: 506 words

Additional notes: This piece is part of the Trysts with Mon Amour timeline, so I'll be glad if you can check that out too.

---

You had been told that Jeong Jaehyun was a dangerous person. Not in the sense that he was a serial killer, but he would break your heart if you got too close to him.

You remembered Doyoung, a common friend of yours (and everybody else it seemed), who told you about this during one of the many house parties you’ve attended.

“I hope you have heard one of the many rumors about our friend,” he started, using his pointer finger discreetly to point at Jaehyun, “and I’m going to confirm with you that it’s true.”

You raised an eyebrow at him before chugging the bottle of beer in your hand. “What do you mean by that? I haven’t heard many rumors about Jay.”

“Aw, come on, Essie, you should know that one! He is a serial dater and can never commit to one person for a long time,” Doyoung sounded exasperated at this, which made him finish the remaining water in his glass.

You looked at Jaehyun, who seemed enamored at the girl he talked to. You knew he was feigning interest, and you could see that his smile hid his motive to sleep with her. After all, the girl he was talking to was hot. You knew how hot girls looked like, and you were far from it.

“Oh, that one,” you grumbled. “Well, there isn’t anything I can do about that. It’s his choice anyway.” You faced Doyoung, who now has a newly refilled glass. “Why are you telling me this?”

“I’ve noticed you two are becoming close these days, and I don’t want you to end up like her,” he was staring at his friend’s interaction with the girl, who has now linked her arms around the heartthrob.

To be honest, you wanted to refute Doyoung for his words, as if you’re going to risk having a relationship with his fellow Aquarian friend. But deep inside, your feelings are a mess because you’re falling for Johnny, and maybe for Jaehyun too.

You took a deep breath to compose yourself. “Well, thanks for the warning, and I’ll take that in mind,” your eyes never left Jaehyun and the girl he was with as they headed out of the venue.

“Take this seriously, Essie,” Doyoung patted your shoulder before leaving you to your thoughts. This time, you watched your friend mingle with the rest of the crowd.

You felt the air becoming colder as you decided to stay still and observe everyone. You realized you were getting too old for this shit – watching people get completely wasted, taking strangers somewhere upstairs so they could bang each other, and hearing crude jokes about everything. You finished the beer that had become lukewarm in your hands and went out to have a smoke to clear your mind further.

Will you consider pursuing a relationship with Jeong Jaehyun if the opportunity arises? Maybe so, or maybe not.

But little did you know, you would be the one who would break his heart not only once, but twice.

---

FIN

P.S. Always listen to Doyoung; he knows best.

Reality Checklist

Continuing my Jaehyun writings with this angsty piece, inspired by UNIQUE's "Reality Checklist."

I can't help but write him this way; I know he's going to act this out so well. Let's manifest Actor Jaehyun for 2022!

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

POV: 3rd person

Word count: 502 words

Additional notes: If this is your first time reading my work, welcome! However, I'll be linking some writing that is in the same timeline like this one since it's part of one of my many unfinished series. Feel free to read those first or read them after this.

Warning: Uh, there's some suggestive content here.

---

He never thought it would affect him like this.

As Jaehyun took another swig of whiskey, he groaned at the thought that he was actually in love. He fell in love with the girlfriend of his best friend, and he risked everything to be with her.

He was currently in a hotel room abroad for a project, and he looked at his room in disdain. It reminded him they had a fancy dinner at a hotel and fucked afterward.

He remembered the way her teeth grazed on his dick and how delightfully painful it was for him. He took another swig of his drink before fishing out a carton of cigarettes in his pocket.

He was never one to smoke often, but tonight felt like the perfect time to do so. He would channel all his thoughts into the smoke he would let out, and hopefully, he could forget about her.

He knew he was a player, but it wasn’t explicitly known by anyone who didn’t know him personally. However, he didn’t show this side to her. She was one of the people he wanted to have, but he never thought he would be invested in her.

Most of the relationships he had were very brief due to his schedule, and most of the time, it was all about fucking. He needed that release, like most guys his age.

But when he met her, especially when they got to know each other better, he observed her well. He knew how to make her ideal coffee, he knew that she didn’t like it when he wore his cap backward, and he knew that she liked to be eaten out. He knew everything there is to know about her, compared to the other women he had been with.

Was there a thrill in being with someone who was taken already? Maybe so, he told himself, as he put out the third stick he was smoking.

His mind now raced to thoughts of how things would have turned out if he got to her first than his best friend. Would he be this observant? Would he care for her more than his ex-lovers?

“Fuck this,” he groaned for the umpteenth time, eyeing the now-empty bottle of whiskey beside him. “I should forget about her. She made her choice already. It’s not me, and it’s never been me.”

He stood up, drawing open the curtains to his dark room. It was already nighttime, and he looked at the bright and bustling cityscape. He has already seen this scenery a couple of times in different countries, and he would usually find this beautiful.

But now, he felt empty. Everyone was moving, yet here he was, still in his thoughts.

He took out his phone in his other pocket and scrolled through the numbers in his contacts. He dialed a number and pressed his phone to his ears.

“Hey, I heard you can get me someone for the night. Can you find me one by 10:30 p.m.? Thanks.”

---

FIN

Dangerous, B-side

Listening to the same song repeatedly can give you different outputs, but this was my initial draft to Dangerous.

I still wanted to share this since I like the tension between Essie and Jaehyun here, so I hope you enjoy this one.

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

POV: 2nd person

Word count: 1,040 words (Wow, it's longer than what I've been writing lately lol)

Additional notes: Like with the previous post, I'll be linking some writing that connects to this one.

Warning: Suggestive themes ahead!

---

You knew it would be dangerous to be near Jeong Jaehyun.

You knew the power he held – he was one of the most handsome men you’ve met, and you knew you could give in to anything he asked you to do.

At first, you didn’t really mind him. You were focused on turning down the flirtatious attempts of his best friend, Johnny Suh, who decided to let you know how memorable you were to him when he saw you in Starbucks.

But when you and Johnny decided to become friends, Jaehyun was the first person in his circle of friends that you got to know better.

He was the perfect gentleman, and you appreciated that. You thought he would be a cocky bastard who would use his handsome privileges.

As you got to know more of Johnny’s friends, you didn’t get to hang around Jaehyun that much. But when you did, you started to feel weird around him. Were his looks and gestures getting to you?

You were conflicted since you were also starting to develop feelings for Johnny, despite the not-so-ideal start of your friendship.

You never thought you would feel like this again – falling for two people at the same time. It was bad, but in the end, it was your choice on who you wanted to get together with.

One of the most unforgettable moments you had with Jaehyun was when he kissed you at a party. Your ex was one of the attendees, and you asked him to hide you. He misheard you and pecked you on the lips.

You couldn’t remember what happened after – were you too drunk to recall if you two have already done it? You shut your eyes, trying to recall as much as you could. No, your body didn’t ache when you got home, and you had a good night’s rest.

As you watched Jaehyun grill meat with Taeyong, you couldn’t help but think if you ended up with him instead.

You had shared interests – you loved vinyl records, and you loved drinking wine. You liked his music selection better than Johnny’s, and he was very chill to talk to. He seemed such a calm person who would perfectly complement your feisty personality.

“Penny for your thoughts, Essie?” He asked, flashing you his trademark dimpled smile. “Oh, it’s nothing,” you mumbled, looking away to recover from the embarrassment you felt at looking at him for too long.

“Hey baby, can you help me with this?” You heard Johnny ask from across the room, and you crossed over to where he was. You were thankful he asked you for help because you needed to distract yourself from such tempting thoughts.

You had dinner with Johnny and his friends in your apartment since it’s been a while since all of them got together. Almost everyone had solo projects, and most of them got back to the country recently.

“If someone deserves a solo, it’s you,” Johnny said to Jaehyun, pointing his chopsticks for emphasis.

“Yeah, we agree,” Taeyong and Doyoung chimed in. Everyone else in the room nodded in approval, even you.

Oh, the thought of Jaehyun singing sexy R’n’B songs excited you so much that you felt the familiar wetness on your underwear.

You cursed yourself at this thought and decided to eat more kimchi to forget that sensation.

“Thanks, guys. Maybe soon, I’ll get that project,” Jaehyun said, ears red with embarrassment. Since he was sitting beside you, you were tempted to stroke his red ear and feel how hot it was.

“I’m sure you will; we just have to wait,” you squeaked, slowly looking up from the bowl you have been focusing your attention on.

“Aw, thanks. That means a lot to me, Essie,” his voice was so soft that you thought you were the only one who heard it. Maybe it was really meant for you.

When you looked up from your bowl, he gave you a heartwarming smile. You smiled back, and he touched your wrist. “I look forward to your support, dear,” he whispered.

You could only nod at his response, your body heating up from his touch. You looked away again to see if anyone was observing your interaction but saw that everyone else was involved in their conversations.

It was as if the world stopped, and only you and Jaehyun were having this intimate conversation.

“You keep on looking away from me tonight; is there something on my face that you don’t want to tell me?”

You didn’t expect his words, and when you looked back at him, he tightened the grip on your wrist.

“No, there isn’t anything wrong with your face, Jay! What makes you think there is?” You were beyond flustered, and you could feel your breathing become ragged.

“You aren’t usually like this when we talk,” he loosened his grip now, “and I like it better when the people I talk to can look at me directly on the face.”

You sat up straight and stared at his face. You saw the bags on his under eyes becoming darker and the pimple patches around his nose. When he smiled, you saw there was one more pimple patch underneath his lip.

“Well, fine. You look stressed. I believe you don’t get pimples, yet here you are, wearing pimple patches to a dinner.” You deadpanned, pointing at the patches around his face.

He laughed at your words and swatted your hand away. “It’s normal to have pimples, but I never thought I’d start breaking out now.”

“Don’t be too stressed. You know it’s bad for the health,” you said before going back to eating. “You should take your advice too, honey,” Jaehyun chuckled and mimicked what you were doing.

You rolled your eyes as he also reached for the plate of meat you were holding. “Yeah, you don’t have to remind me of that. Now please, can I have some meat?”

“Jaehyun! Are you teasing Essie?” You heard Johnny comment, probably because he saw how irked you were. Jaehyun let go of the plate of meat and watched you take it for yourself.

No one answered Johnny’s question, and the night continued with everyone catching up on their endeavors.

---

FIN

P.S. That was a lame-ass ending, but my mind stopped working after that. I had to get the tension out of the way hehe.

You're Such an Ass

Sometimes, you've got to let out your brain farts.

The GIF below should hint at what this is going to be. Oh yeah, baby - it's going to be about Mark Lee!

Expect butt puns and Johnny being the big adorable shit that he is.

I think this is the most crack thing I've written for the fandom so far, so I hope you enjoy my humor.

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

POV: 2nd person

Word count: 1,640 words

Additional notes: I think I've already noted what you needed to know, so I hope you enjoy this silly piece.

---

“You know what, love? I’m taking back what I said about you.”

Johnny was surprised by your words that he almost dropped his phone on the floor. You were standing beside him while he was scrolling through his phone and drinking coffee on the dining table.

“What do you mean by that, baby?” You pointed at Mark, who was crouched in front of the fridge, rummaging for something to eat. The younger guy has been in the same position for some time now, and his butt was sticking out.

You have been living with him and your boyfriend for over a year already, but this is the first time you noticed his backside. You had a thing for guys that had great asses, and you couldn’t believe that Mark Lee, the bashful boy-next-door type, has a badonkadonk.

“Ah, that,” Johnny groaned, placing his phone on the table. “Well, I can’t beat that. He has the plumpest ass out of all of us. But I still have a great one, right?” He pulled you closer to him, a cheesy grin on his face.

“Yeah, you do, but…look at that!” You loudly whispered, your eyes widening at how Mark even stuck his butt out more as he continued to rummage the vegetable compartment.

“My anaconda don’t,” Johnny started singing, making you cackle. “My anaconda don’t want none unless you got buns, hun!” you continued, now bursting into boisterous laughter.

“Oh my gosh, look at his butt,” your boyfriend repeatedly said in his best valley girl accent, which made you lose it.

“Hey, what’s so funny?” Mark has now stood up with an apple in his hand, an eyebrow raised at you. You looked like a mess on the floor, clutching at your stomach.

“Essie noticed your famous feature just now,” Johnny deadpanned, now going back to his phone and coffee. The younger guy looked at his behind, which had a bit of a wedgie from crouching for too long. He quickly fixed his sweatpants before stalking off to the couch to eat his breakfast.

“I’m sorry, Marky! I only noticed that you have a great ass,” You have now composed herself and approached him to offer more apologies. But before you could even reach the sofa, he stormed off to his room.

You looked at Johnny in shock, your mouth agape at what just happened.

“Uh oh, he didn’t take that well,” your partner commented, now standing beside you. “He gets conscious about that, especially as it came from you.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, for starters, you’re a girl. Have you forgotten about that?” Johnny chuckled, plopping on the sofa to continue browsing on his phone.

You rolled your eyes at his comment. “Duh, I haven’t! Well, this is awkward. But I couldn’t help it, love! They’re like peaches ripe for the picking!”

“You better apologize to him, baby. And try not to tease him about if you can, okay?”

\\\

Although Mark forgave you immediately for your silly antics about his butt, you didn’t keep your promise to Johnny by teasing him about it still. Not that your boyfriend could even keep his word when it comes to teasing the younger guy though. This is Johnny Suh we’re talking about. Together, you were inseparable and annoying to the highest level.

You played butt-related songs whenever Mark passed by, and Johnny would join in the teasing by twerking with you and laughing about it afterward.

But when you played “Bubble Butt,” Mark lost it and didn’t go home. Two days later, you found out from Haechan that he was staying at their place for the meantime.

“Noona, we know how he’s extremely blessed in that department, but you don’t have to remind him about that every day,” he sounded like he was trying his best not to laugh over your video call, but you knew he was amused at the situation.

“I’m sorry, Haechannie! But you know how Johnny and I get when we’re in a teasing mood, right?”

“Yeah, both of you are ruthless! You just won’t stop! I believe Mark was able to list some of the songs you played even if he was pissed,” Haechan couldn’t contain his laughter and had to step out of the room he was in to let it all out.

The three of you shared laughter for a moment before Haechan cleared his throat and went back to your conversation. “I can’t believe you had the nerve to sing ‘Bootylicious’ to him! And ‘My Humps’! You two are evil!”

You and Johnny couldn’t help but sing and dance a mash-up of the two songs, which made your recipient cover his reddened face from laughing too much.

“I bet you would join us if you were here though,” Johnny said, and the maknae hummed in approval. “But Mark had it when we played ‘Bubble Butt’ though.”

Haechan burst into laughter again, and you heard him sniffing. You knew what that meant – he became teary-eyed at how hilarious this was. But he also had to serve as the mediator since Mark is one of your housemates, and you want him to return to your home eventually.

“Anyway, you have to stop that. I know it’s funny, and I would’ve joined you in teasing him about this, but he’s…hurt about this.”

“Oh, Haechannie! You wanted to say butt hurt so bad!” You screeched, making all of you erupt into laughter again.

“Baby, stop it! Don't be such an ass!” Johnny playfully slapped your shoulder and grabbed the phone from you. “Tell Mark Lee we’re really sorry, and we would leave this all…behind,” you and Haechan snorted, “and we promise not to tease him anymore about this.”

“Okay, that’s noted. I’ll relay that to him, but don’t expect that he’ll go home there immediately. Since we’re busy with projects together, I think he’ll be back there in a week or two,” Haechan said, “and please, I hope you’ll be over teasing Mark about his ass by then.”

“Will you get over that, baby?” Johnny asked, sassily putting hands on his hips and raising an eyebrow at you.

“I think I will,” you said with conviction before your call ended. “I think I’ll get over Mark Lee’s cute and juicy butt,” you said to yourself softly this time when you were left alone with your thoughts.

\\\

Haechan was right – Mark indeed went home two weeks after their project.

The apartment the three of you shared was quiet when he returned, and he hoped that you and Johnny would have gotten over teasing his butt.

He knew that he’s already the butt of jokes in your circle of friends, but Haechan was teasing him lately with butt puns then laughing in a corner when he wasn’t looking. Renjun reported that to him when they went out to dinner the other night, and he felt resigned that his housemates had influenced him as well.

Sometimes, he thought his stomach-related problems contributed to how his ass has become so rotund. Does shitting contribute to this? He did check Google but found articles on anal sex and painful bowel movements instead. He’ll have to deep dive into the Internet some other time.

When he laid his bag on the sofa, it was coincidental that you also opened the door to your room. You were surprised to see him back, thinking that he would sulk for a couple more weeks before coming home.

“Hi Marky, welcome home,” you said softly, your hand still on the doorknob. “Have you just arrived?” He nodded, and you approached him cautiously. When he didn’t move from his spot, you enveloped him in a hug.

“I’m so sorry, my Marky baby. I mean it,” you cooed, ruffling his hair, “And I missed you.”

“I missed you too, noona,” he whispered, finally hugging you back. “And Johnny hyung too.”

You laughed at that and continued to ruffle his hair some more. He doesn’t like it when others do that to him, but he makes an exception for you. Maybe he still has some feelings for you.

But when you got tired of playing with his hair, your arms snaked around his waist. Since you’re quite the touchy person, your hands slid further to the top of his butt. “May I?” You mouthed, eyes gleaming at the prospect of touching your recent obsession.

Mark let out a deep sigh before nodding in approval. You tried not to squeal as your hands cupped his butt cheeks gently.

“Oh my, they’re soft,” you murmured, squeezing them this time. Mark was burning at your touch, his face as red as the insides of the watermelon he loved so much.

“What’s this I’m seeing?” Johnny gasped at the sight of you playing with Mark’s ass. “Baby, did you ask permission?”

You gave a thumbs-up with one hand before it went back to playing with the younger guy’s backside.

“I missed him, Johnny boo! Didn’t you miss him too?” You have let go of Mark, who was now sitting on the sofa covering his flushed face. He was embarrassed that you were playing with his butt, and his hyung had to see that. He wasn’t sure if Johnny recorded that because if he did, he has new blackmail material.

“Hmmm, maybe not,” he teased. You stuck out your tongue at him, and he took it as an invitation to join you guys.

“Welcome back, bro,” he tapped Mark’s back before sitting beside him. You squeezed in between them and initiated conversation like all the teasing never happened.

The younger guy felt relieved that normalcy has been restored now, but he never knew with you and Johnny. As Haechan told him: “Your housemates are the worst when it comes to teasing, and it’s when you least expect it that they do.”

---

FIN

P.S. I won't link the songs I mentioned since I feel bad for teasing Mark about his bum. Well, sort of.

Burnout Teaser, B-Side

I'm the type of writer who gets triggered to write something because of a song.

This is one of them, which I'm not sure if I'll include in the official timeline of Burnout. What do you think?

Mahal ko kayong lahat!

POV: 2nd person

Word count: 479 words

Additional notes: Italics are parts of the letter Y/N is reading.

---

I’m the only motherfucker in the city who can handle and stand you.

That familiar line has been used on you, and you never thought it would make you cry. You loved the stripped-down version of that song, and you jokingly dedicated it to him.

He even played the song for you on the piano in a drunken state. He was never one to play the instrument often, “but for you darling, I’ll do it all again,” he slurred with a dopey grin on his face while looking at you then. You remembered returning the same smile before bursting into laughter. This happened during a party in New York that both of you crashed into, and you told him that you had no regrets about doing this. He agreed and then decided to do it again next week.

Fuck it. You couldn’t help but be reminded of how the both of you were so inseparable. The memories you had together were too vivid, beautiful, and felt like they came from an A24 movie. The tears that continued to fall felt hot on your face, but you had to carry on reading the rest of the letter.

I might not be the only person to claim that now, but I wish that the next motherfucker who will love you not turn out like me.

I hope your future partner will give you everything you have always wanted and make you feel satisfied. I also pray that you have a good future ahead.

I don’t know if this is how you wanted closure, but I hope this wraps up things between us. I loved you, Y/N. I will never forget that. But life happens. We feel things. We do things. We hurt. We never mean to, but it’s not always how the other person sees it. And I sincerely apologize again for everything.

If you think this letter brought upon more questions, I leave it up to you if you want to reach out to me. Not that I’m discouraging you, but you call the shots. I might be there, or I might not be. The future is very unpredictable.

Well, I guess that’s it. Thank you, Y/N. Goodbye.

You shut your eyes as you read the last words of his letter. Did this answer everything that had been running in your mind since he left? Will this closure help you completely move on from him?

You folded the paper hastily back into the envelope and threw yourself in your bed. It had been only a day since you got back, and then you got this surprise. Feelings that you had locked away in a chest deep in your heart resurfaced, and you promised yourself that you were okay now. But you really weren’t.

Johnny Suh still had a deep impact on you, and he was the best you ever had.

---

FIN

Focus

How can I not write anything about Johnny's solo performance in The Link concerts?

Here's a short piece of how my mind malfunctioned for a moment and indulged in carnal desires.

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

POV: 2nd person

Word count: ~470 words

Warning: I didn't get too smutty. Not yet. We'll get there soon?

Recommended listening: Obviously the song he introduced in the concert and one of my favorites on the album!

---

“Damn, what did I do to deserve you?”

You whispered, taking in the glorious sight in front of you. Johnny Suh, your partner, was only wearing a pair of skintight leather trousers, and his body was glistening from sweat.

He performed a dance to arouse you, and you knew you would already be even if he didn’t do it. You remembered calling him a sex god in your mind, and what he did solidify that further.

“You deserve the best, baby,” he said while approaching your figure, his hands immediately snaking around your waist. “It’s been a while we’ve done this, right?” His lips connected to your neck, peppering kisses that made your body heat up even more.

“Yeah, we’ve been too busy,” you responded, breaking away from his hold a bit to cradle his beautiful face. “And I appreciate your Magic Mike routine. You don’t know how I turned on I am right now,” you stuck out your tongue at him, trying to keep things light. You knew once he got serious, he would be like that throughout the night.

“Well, that’s the point. Do you think I can get a gig with that?” He giggled, his hold on you never faltering. “I’m sure you will, but I’m not comfortable that you'll do that in front of other women,” you kissed the tip of his nose before you tugged at the waistband of your sweatpants.

“No, baby, I’ll only do that for you,” Johnny was quick in undressing you as if he had memorized it a thousand times already. Before you could even touch his pants, he had already taken them off. “Just relax, and I’ll do all the work, okay?” He kissed your forehead before he attacked your lips with a ravenous kiss.

You had to admit that Johnny leading your sexy time was one of the best things you’ve ever experienced in life, and he never failed to deliver. It was a good thing that tomorrow was the weekend, and you could stay in bed the whole day since you know you’ll be sore from all the manhandling he’ll do to you.

He kissed, nipped, sucked, licked, massaged, slapped, and thrusted into your body in all the right places, and the only thing you could do was scream his name louder each time he did.

No one can ever compare to him, not even Jaehyun, who fucked you almost every day when you decided to have an affair with him. You recalled telling the younger guy that he was the best, but when Johnny hit your G-spot repeatedly with his long and thick dick, that thought flew out of your mind.

All you could think of was the pleasure your partner was giving you and damn those guilty thoughts from the past that keep creeping on you during inappropriate times.

---

FIN

P.S. Ugh, that ending. It always comes back to that affair.

Midnight Sky

The thought of Mark Lee playing the song this piece is titled after will never leave my mind.

I am confident he can do it, and it suits his voice. A girl can dream, right?

I hope you enjoy this rejection fic featuring Mark and my main OC Essie.

Mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

POV: 2nd person

Word count: ~1,000 words

Additional notes: This is part of the Main Timeline pre-Essie and Johnny. Please refer to the Masterlist, which I will update shortly with this one. I'll get to writing the other missing pieces of Mark's story, even Jaehyun's. Some things might not make sense now, but it will in the future. We'll get there, okay?

Recommended listening: I will now associate the title of this fic (also mentioned in the story) as a song Mark should sing to us. You have to agree with me.

---

You never wanted to be in this situation, but sometimes, life hands it to you. It was never easy to break someone’s heart. 

Mark Lee was kneeling in front of you after serenading you in a bar he rented for this purpose. 

This was a more intimate affair than his confession in front of Johnny and Key because he thought you didn't take that seriously. Hopefully, this moment will get through you.

He sang a couple of your favorite songs, but when he sang ‘Midnight Sky,’ you figured out what would come next. 

“Noona, please say something,” he said softly, his doe eyes looking at you with anticipation. 

It has been a couple of minutes since you remained silent after his grand confession. Your mind kept replaying the words he told you – I have been in love with you for some time, Essie noona. I hope you’ll give me a chance to be the partner you’ve always wanted and deserved. 

Those were some big claims, and deep inside, you were curious about what he could give you. But it would be best if he knew the real story of why you were afraid of being in a relationship again. 

“Mark…” you started, holding both of his hands so he could stand up, “I think you have to know something first.” 

You led him to the edge of the stage he performed on and told him to sit beside you there. After a couple of deep breaths, you started to share some of your past. 

As you told him your reasons, your mind was also wondering about the possibility of being with Johnny, the guy who made you love again. 

If you could just go straight to the point that you weren’t expecting his confession and that you were in love with his hyung, then this would be all over. 

“But noona, I am not like your ex. I’m a different person, and I’m not one to ignore and ghost,” Mark replied, his tone a bit on the edge. You could tell he was becoming impatient with the way your conversation shifted. 

“I know, Mark. But…” You busied your hands by clenching and unclenching them on your jeans, still delaying the inevitable. “I’m really sorry; I didn’t expect this at all.” 

The silence that enveloped you both felt suffocating, but you knew that if you said the wrong words, things would never be the same again. 

“So, I guess that’s a no then?” Mark’s voice was barely a whisper, and you felt that he was on the verge of crying. 

You diverted your eyes away from your lap to look at him, and your suspicion was correct. Your heart ached at the tears forming in the corners of his eyes, but you knew what your heart wanted the most. 

“I’m sorry, Marky. Maybe in another lifetime or parallel universe, we could be.”

“Why not now? Is there someone you like more?” He hesitated to ask you, but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to sleep if he didn’t take this chance.

“Yes, Mark. I think you know who that is, right?” The tears that pooled in the younger guy’s eyes slipped, and he had to look away from you to wipe them. 

“I think I know who that is,” he said in between sniffles, “but you know what?” He faced you with slightly red eyes. “I’m glad I took the risk to tell you how I feel. If I keep this bottled up for too long, I might resent everyone.” 

You didn’t know what else to say, so your tears decided to speak for themselves. You never thought of the depth of his feelings for you. You always saw him as an affectionate little brother that you wanted to shower your love and praises. He deserved everything he was getting, but unfortunately, not the love he wanted from you. 

“Don’t cry, noona. It’s alright; I can take this.” He smiled at you to reassure you he’ll be fine, but you knew he wouldn’t be after going home to your respective apartments. 

“I’m really sorry, Marky…” More tears spilled on your face, and despite the rejection he got from you, he wiped them with his handkerchief. 

“Don’t be sorry. I can’t make you do something you haven’t set your heart on,” You noticed his small smile can break any moment now. You had to give it to him for being strong after being turned down, but at the same time, you wanted to console him. 

“Can I request something?” His ears perked up at your question, and you saw his beautiful eyes glimmering in the dark. “Come here,” you motioned to your lap, and slowly, he crawled to you. 

You pulled him into your embrace, which was something not uncommon between you two. Mark buried his face in the crook of your neck, taking in your scent. You nuzzled on one side of his head, with one of your hands ruffling and playing with his hair. 

“Do you think I led you on, Marky?” You asked softly, not breaking away from your intimate position. 

“To be honest, yes. We always have moments like this, noona. I could lose myself in your hugs, and you’re one of the people I don’t mind playing with my hair.” 

That got a chuckle out of you and pecked his head afterward. “Are we too close for your liking?” 

“Yeah, and I wish we could be something else,” he mumbled before pecking your neck. “Can I request something this time?” 

Mark broke away from your hug and looked at you intently. God, his eyes were making you feel weird and fuzzy inside. 

“Can I get a…” Before he finished what he was saying, he looked at the floor. You glanced at what he was looking at, but you became distracted by his red ears. 

You already know what he wanted to request, but it would better if it came from him. 

“Can I get a kiss from you?” 

---

FIN

P.S. My brain stopped with that ending, and I don't know if I should proceed lol.

Guilty

Dear. M made me do this. I'm posting the Jaehyun content I have written so far, and I will continue to write more.

For context, this brain fart is part of the main timeline.

There's something about an angry and heartbroken Jay that makes me want to write more...

Anyway, mahal ko kayong lahat! :)

POV: 3rd person

Word count: 890 approx.

Additional notes: I'm glad I could write the other 127 members in, especially Yuta. I'll make it a goal to include the rest of NCT in my stories when applicable.

---

Yuta felt sorry about how Jaehyun turned out after Essie called off their affair.

When Jaehyun came home from his solo project, he smoked and drank consistently after his schedule. Sometimes he drank whiskey in the mornings and decided to have a pack of cigarettes for breakfast. It was unfortunate that he coped in this way. Although it’s one of the many ways people do so, it is destructive in the long run. Yuta had to intervene; hence, he knew everything there was to know about this week-long rendezvous.

While he took it all in stride, he felt uneasy in knowing what would be one of the dirty open secrets the group now has.

As he watched Jaehyun singing his feelings out in the karaoke booth, he glanced at Taeil. The eldest in the group seemed unaffected by the situation as he flipped through the songbook, looking for another song to sing. It was just the three of them this time – Mark was busy as always, and Jungwoo had more hosting gigs these days.

“Fuck this shit,” Jaehyun growled, yanking the collar of his shirt angrily, “why can’t I still get over her?”

“Let it all out, bro,” Taeil said calmly, scanning intently for the number of the song he wanted to sing. “You’ll get over her eventually.”

“You know, Jay,” Yuta started, “Things are going to be different now, especially if Johnny figures out what you did with his girl.”

“I don’t care,” the youngest groaned, throwing himself on the sofa. “This fucking sucks.”

“Both of you are adults who made this choice, so you’ve got to live with it,” Yuta’s tone was firmer this time. “But that was very dumb of you, Jeong Yoonoh. Why did you even propose that idea to Essie?”

The sound of glass shattering on the floor startled the two older guys, and they saw Jaehyun had just flung the glass of water on the wall. He covered his face afterward, hiding the angry tears flowing on his face.

“You little shit,” Taeil grumbled, looking at the mess he made. “You have to pay for that.”

Jaehyun’s actions were getting on Yuta’s nerves, but he didn’t want to make a commotion. He took deep breaths to calm himself down, not wanting to engage in his friend’s bullshit.

A moment of awkward silence ensued before the heartbroken man spoke. “I thought she liked me. I thought she would choose me. I thought once I have her, I’d stop fooling around.”

Taeil and Yuta looked at each other, loss for words on what to say. They weren’t involved, nor would they like to be involved, in Jaehyun’s affairs. Each had their own lives once the cameras were off, and they tried their best not to get entangled in another’s business.

“You know what, Jay?” The eldest said, sporting a wicked grin on his face. “To make up for your shitty behavior tonight, I’d like you to sing this song with all the emotion you have.”

Like an obedient younger brother, Jaehyun stood beside his hyung and put in the numbers of the requested song. Yuta raised an eyebrow at them both, with Taeil holding his laughter.

“What are you up to?” the Japanese guy mouthed to his former roommate as the singer immersed himself in the song he was about to sing.

“As I’ve said earlier, he has to let it all out.”

When the iconic saxophone intro of George Michael’s (formerly of Wham!) infamous song played from the speakers, Yuta rolled his eyes at Taeil’s suggestion.

Jaehyun gave a memorable performance of the song despite his vocals sounding a bit strained due to all the crying and screaming he did for the past few weeks.

It was during the bridge part that he almost lost it.

“We could have been so good together; we could have lived this dance forever. But now who’s gonna dance with me? Please stay,” the tears pooled once again in his eyes.

The memories were still too fresh for him to forget. Fucking Essie felt so good, and he never wanted to be apart from her. They had intimate dances under the stars and by the shore. It felt surreal, but alas, all good things come to an end. It might be good for him, but it shouldn’t be.

Once he was done singing, he kept to himself on the sofa. His hyungs took their turns singing, and he watched them enjoy what they were doing.

From time to time, Yuta checked in on Jaehyun. It was always the same when they went out to karaoke bars: he would stay still, his eyes looking at nothing until the booze hit him and made him fall asleep.

Every so often, he would wake up and not speak a word until they go off in their respective rooms, or they would have to haul his ass back to his apartment.

This was getting tiring, seeing his downward spiral into depression. Yuta, known for his wise words, knew what they did was wrong. They should be held accountable for their actions. He bet both parties are hot messes right now, but he’s more concerned about Johnny. The tall guy might not take it if he learns about this rendezvous.

Everyone knows no one wants to mess with an angry Johnny Suh.

---

FIN

P.S. Did you expect I was going to let him sing Careless Whisper? Feel free to listen to it below! I think Jaehyun can pull this off flawlessly.